


A Cold Sleep

by Amledo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: 17-Year-Old Harry, AU, Abuse, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Conspiracy, Dark Dumbledore, Dark Lord Voldemort - Freeform, Escape, Evil Dumbledore, F/M, Found Family, Gen, Good Harry, Good Voldemort, Harry Potter AU, Hogwarts Seventh Year, Light Lord Harry, M/M, Multi, Neglect, Patronus, Recovery, Running Away, but you have to wait and see, casual atmosphere, easy affection, introduction, more to come - Freeform, relationships will happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-15 10:09:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 25,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9230300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amledo/pseuds/Amledo
Summary: Attending Hogwarts for the 7th year 17 year old Harry Potter is forced by Ministry decree to return to his family home for the winter holidays, only the Dursley family seems to want him even less than normal.  A bid for freedom on a frigid night and a Patronus cast without direction are his only hope to survive.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I know that I have other things to be working on, and trust me I am, but this was an idea that struck me and I wanted to get it down before I forgot. This is an introduction to a larger story, so let me know what you think.)

A Cold Sleep

Part 1

Wearing his cousin's castoff rags the wind pierced right through him, the invisibility cloak offered almost no protection and he didn't dare cast a spell until he was far enough from the Dursley's that it wouldn't be attributed to him. He hadn't been able to get at any of his warmer clothes, the only things in the bag that Hermione had made for him were his broom, his school books, and a few of his most treasured possessions, the Marauder's map, and his photo album included. This was not a situation that he had prepared for, the Ministry had mandated that all Hogwarts students return home for the winter holiday, and the mandate specified that it be the student's legal guardian.

So Harry had been forced upon the Dursley's again and they had not been pleased to have him. As soon as he was in the door his trunk was taken away and he was locked into the smallest bedroom, informed that they would not be finding him any food for the duration of the three week break. He counted himself lucky that they had assumed everything was in the trunk; he needed his wand, if nothing else. It shouldn't have happened, he was 17, and he was supposed to be of legal age in the Wizarding world. But temporary edict from the Ministry forced him to act as a minor due to the threat still looming from Voldemort.

He didn't know what threat that was. Voldemort had not made an appearance since being returned to his body at the end of Harry's 4th year. The Death Eaters had been inactive, Harry's scar hadn't even burned since that night. It was the steady diet of paranoia fed to the Ministry by Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix that had led to the tense atmosphere the past two and a half years. Harry had grown more and more distrustful of the old man that he'd once considered a mentor, he couldn't explain it, but it seemed as if Albus had reversed course and set himself to the task of becoming a Dark Lord.

Hermione had become the only one that he could truly trust, she was not as enamored of Dumbledore as Ron was and though she didn't really believe his theory, she helped him to prepare for the worst. Somehow he had his doubts as to who he should contact, he didn't really think that any of his friends would believe him, so he just had to keep walking.

It had been a week since he'd been forced into his room, a week since he had eaten. He probably wouldn't have gotten out at all, but earlier that evening, while Petunia and Vernon were out to dinner, he heard the locks on his door begin to open, one by one. He had covered himself with the invisibility cloak, unsure of what might happen to him. But all he saw was Dudley, standing in the doorway, his blue eyes not even checking the room to see if Harry was still alive.

"Go, while you still can," was all the blond boy had said and Harry wasted no time, bolting from the room and down the stairs, out the open front door. He didn't know why his cousin had planned his escape, but if he lived through it, he was going to find a way to repay Dudley for the kindness.

Now though, as he walked through bitter cold wind and the occasional sprinkling of rain, he wished that he had paused to take something more substantial to protect himself, or at least some food. His adrenaline would only carry him so far, before long he would succumb to the cold.

He dragged himself to a cluster of trees that he knew separated the suburban homes from the industrial areas across the way and lost himself in them. Here, he thought, might be a good place to cast a spell. Fumbling for his wand he debated what to do, if the Ministry was tracking him, then using a heating charm would likely get him detected before he managed to find help. But if he used his Patronus then he was going to be forced to rely on a speedy reply before either the Ministry came for him or the cold did. He had to take the option of a rescue, however slim. The opalescent stag was standing before him an instant later, before he had a chance to second guess himself.

"Find me someone safe, someone that can help, bring them here," Harry said to the glowing creature, he smiled when it gave a nod of its head before turning and galloping away into the dark of the night. Harry collapsed against a tree, the spell had left him feeling absolutely depleted and so he sank to the ground and huddled for what little warmth he could generate on his own. He figured that he was going to die; he should have died with his parents anyway. He'd only delayed it by 16 years. At least he had sent Hedwig with Hermione; he didn't want to know what his Uncle might have done to her.

It became harder and harder to keep his eyes open as time went on, his body had nothing left to run on. It sacrificed the little protection that he had, but he removed the invisibility cloak and tucked it away, he'd be impossible to find if he fell over and was covered by it. After it was safe in the bag that was tucked against his chest, he stashed his wand as well and allowed his eyes to slide close, intending to let them rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Hey guys, I know it's a short little thing, but there is definitely more to it, so let me know what you thought of it and I will hopefully be back to posting content on a more regular schedule.)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I hope that you enjoyed the first chapter. Standard warnings apply, I don't own the franchise and I never will. I have no idea how long this is going to be, but I have quite a bit stored up for it in my head, how much of that is actually going to translate into text remains unclear. Anyway, on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 2

The sound of snapping twigs and the crunching of frozen leaves roused him to a state of partial awareness. He hadn't meant to fall asleep, he didn't know how long it had been, it was still dark, but he couldn't feel his hands or feet, the rest of him almost seemed like it was on fire. Wearily he opened his eyes, managing only a sliver of vision that showed him two dark shapes; whether human or not he couldn't be sure, he didn't even know if he was really awake. And then one of the shapes crouched in front of him and he saw a familiar pair of dark eyes. A whispered word settled something like a warm blanket around him.

"He's alive, hypothermic, possibly frostbitten. We need to get him out of here before the Ministry finds him," the deep but soothing voice of his former Potion's Master was something that he never expected to hear again. By time he had returned for his 5th year Severus Snape had been fired and all traces of him had vanished. The rumor mill at school had concluded that he had gone to live somewhere far away, where he would never have to deal with them again.

"Then we best be off. His magic is muddled enough, they won't be able to get a clear picture of where he's gone," said another voice, one that Harry was sure he recognized, but his hazy mind could not put a name to it. He felt himself lifted into a pair of strong arms and he squeezed his eyes shut, knowing that if they were planning a quick escape it was likely going to make him sick, not that there was anything in his stomach to come up if it did.

"You're safe Potter," Harry dimly heard a third voice say and he recognized it as well, though this time he was able to put a name to it, Lucius Malfoy, what on earth was he doing here? Surely all of this was just his brain conjuring a dream for him to experience as he died. It was a strange dream, but then he did not have very many comforting things to think about to begin with, so he would accept whatever his mind generated.

For a long time he drifted, he wasn't quite sure if he was asleep, or if he had been given a potion, or if it was a product of the cold, but he didn't exactly want to wake up. He heard voices faintly, felt the odd touch of a hand against his forehead or cheeks, the soft grasp of fingers around his hand. There was always a presence near him, he knew it wasn't always the same one, he thought that there were six or maybe seven people that came and went from his side. It was funny how easy it was to sense others when he could do nothing else.

When he finally returned from the strange world between waking and dreaming, he realized that he was in a rather large bed, much bigger than the one he had at Hogwarts. Light was streaming in through tall windows and the first thing that he really noticed was that he was comfortably warm, if achingly hungry. He turned his head to the presence at his bedside and blinked in shock, warm amber eyes stared back at him and he was certain that he had died. Remus Lupin was supposed to have been killed sometime during his 5th year, along with his godfather Sirius Black.

"Remus?" Harry asked, not daring to believe, but reaching out toward the man regardless.

"Yes Harry, it's me, I'm glad to see you awake. I am sorry that we have been forced apart for so long," Remus said, gently taking Harry's extended hand and grasping it between both of his own. He knew that the monitoring charm would summon the rest of the members of the household to his bedside before long, he wanted to do more than just say sorry, but he didn't know what to do.

"You, you had to do it, didn't you? Pretend to die? Dumbledore, he's…not right," Harry said though his voice was shaky and uncertain, tears glistened in his eyes. Remus moved to sit on the edge of the bed and drew Harry into a hug, holding him close and letting him cry.

"I did, we both did. There's so much to explain, I don't know where to start. The others will be here soon, they'll help me. But you're right Harry, something is very wrong with Dumbledore," Remus said softly and stroked his hand up and down Harry's back, the prominence of his bones was unsettling, but he did his best not to let that show.

"The others? I remember Severus and Lucius, there was someone else, they found me, I thought I was dead," Harry said softly and clutched at the material of Remus' shirt, it was much nicer than anything he'd ever worn while Harry had known him. Remus hugged the younger man close and sighed, he didn't know just how close to death he had come.

"Everything will make sense eventually Harry, I am just glad that they were able to find you. Your Patronus has gotten very powerful, it was able to lead them to you even though you were unconscious," Remus said and gently stroked the messy nest of black hair that rested under his chin. He watched the door to the room open and noted that he had been right; each of the six other occupants of the Manor had heard the signal and had arrived to see how Harry was doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Yes, I know they are short, but I hope that doing short chapters will help me to keep this story flowing a bit more readily. Let me know how you like it and I hope to see you soon.)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: As yet there are no new warnings, I will announce them if they come up though, so don't worry about that. Other than the standard nonsense I have nothing else to say except, enjoy the show.)

A Cold Sleep

Part 3

Harry leaned back and wiped at his eyes, suddenly aware of the fact that there were now other people in the room with them. He turned his head and swallowed thickly against fresh tears when his eyes landed on Sirius, the supposedly dead man smiled at him widely and gave him a little wave. Next he noted Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy standing slightly behind Draco, their hands resting on his shoulders as if to restrain him from rushing at the bed. Severus gave a slight incline of his head, sweeping his hair back over his shoulders, it was much longer than Harry remembered and had none of the greasy quality that it formerly had. The last person was one that it took Harry a long moment to recognize, but once he did he felt his jaw pop open in shock.

"Nice to see you again Harry, it has been awhile," the man said and Harry cleared his throat, trying to find his voice.

"Tom? You look…you look like you again," Harry said once he was able to speak and the man smiled, blue eyes shining.

"Indeed I do. Through no small effort on the parts of the people in this room. But do not concern yourself with me. How are you, we were concerned that we had not arrived in time," Tom said and he and the others advanced into the room, everyone taking up seats along the over large bed. Harry blushed at the attention, but accepted a hug from each of them in turn.

"I think I'm okay, I mean, I'm really hungry, and I don't know how long it has been since I've been out, and I'm confused about a bunch of stuff but that's not new," Harry said and laughed to himself. Everyone else joined in shortly and Lucius called for a house elf to bring Harry a simple breakfast of soup and toast. Severus produced a phial that contained what Harry recognized as a nutritive potion from his many stays in the Hospital wing.

"You've been without food for some time. I don't think I need to tell you that we have to take this slow," Severus said calmly and handed Harry the potion after removing the cork. Harry nodded in agreement and downed the potion, doing his best to avoid tasting it since they called to mind bad memories of coming back to school after a hard summer.

"I know, we've done this enough times. Anyone want to explain to me what's going on with Dumbledore?" Harry said and accepted the tray that was place across his lap. He allowed himself to breathe in the delicious scent of the chicken soup, as plain as it was; it was possibly the best thing that he had ever smelt.

"It's complicated, to say the least. The short story is that when I was brought back, somehow we seem to have changed places in the eyes of the public, and yet we haven't. I am still very much immersed in dark magic, and so too is he. There is very rarely one Dark Lord at a time. It has happened of course, but usually the elder Dark Lord wishes to ensure that his mark remains on the world after he is gone, and that is where the apprentice comes in. Dumbledore apprenticed to Grindelwald, I apprenticed to Dumbledore. But when my fame began to eclipse his own, Dumbledore assumed the role of leader of the light. He had killed his old master, no one doubted him when he claimed to have their best interests at heart. He has built a following based on deception," Voldemort explained carefully and gestured to Remus and Sirius, the pair sat with hands joined and Harry looked to them for what he assumed to be the next part of the story.

"By time we got to school, Dumbledore had already donned the mask of good guy supreme, we didn't have a reason to doubt him, he even made sure that Remus would be safe during the full moon," Sirius said and raked his hand back through his hair.

"Basically he won us over to his side, turned us into an army, his Order of the Phoenix. James and Sirius fast-tracked to become Aurors as soon as we were out of school, and Lily wanted to join as well, but she tested better as a Healer. I, being what I was, couldn't get a job; I believed Dumbledore when he said that he would try to find me employment or use his clout with the Ministry to pass laws that would allow me to work. But nothing came of it and on months when Severus could not bring me my potion I was consigned to caves, tearing myself apart, getting sicker and sicker," Remus said, his expression bunched up with a look of misery.

"But then Lily had you and things started to come apart. Dumbledore was very concerned about a prophecy, the one I am sure you've heard. He demanded that Lily leave her job, that James take leave of his. He convinced them that the Potter ancestral Manor was not safe enough, they moved to Godric's Hollow at his behest. And then the debacle with the Secret Keeper happened and Lily and James paid for it with their lives. But, something wasn't adding up. There should have been no way that Dumbledore should have been able to know what had happened; he shouldn't have been able to get there as soon as he did. Tom is powerful in the domain of mind magic, but he was still out-classed by his former teacher," Sirius said and his jaw clicked shut, his hands clenched tightly and he looked down.

"I don't know how I managed to succumb to his whims, perhaps it was my fear of my own mortality that spoke to me, that let him work his way into my mind. I do not remember ever having anything against you or your family before that night. I killed them, and I tried to kill you. But your mother's sacrifice protected you; it destroyed me, physically at any rate. And Dumbledore was free to paint the picture as he saw fit. But you didn't finish me off; if the prophecy were true you would have done just that. My former master thought that he could force the prophecy to be about you and me, but it was ambiguous, what with there being two Dark Lords," Voldemort said and looked conflicted when Harry reached out and gently patted him on the knee, trying to communicate some sort of acceptance.

"With Voldemort supposedly gone, we all fell into the roles that he assigned to us, and it worked, until the end of your 4th year. The moment Voldemort came back, Dumbledore changed; he became paranoid, obsessive, cutting people out of his plans until only the inner circle of the Order of the Phoenix remained. I couldn't be fully trusted and so I was booted, Remus was a Werewolf and Dumbledore didn't need an excuse to start hunting him, Sirius was an escaped convict and Dumbledore knew where he lived. Once we figured out what was happening to us, I reached out to my old master, fearful that he would kill me, but knowing nowhere else to turn. Thankfully Tom understood that I did what was needed to protect myself and he took us in," Severus explained his voice low and level though he could not fully conceal the emotion in his eyes.

"The Malfoy family has always walked with the Dark, but there is a difference between ambition and madness. I gave my allegiance to Voldemort early on, when Dumbledore was still secretly active as a leader of the Dark. I could tell even as a young man that Dumbledore wasn't any good for any of us. And so I have gladly hosted my Lord and his followers whenever the need has arisen," Lucius supplied but frowned ever so slightly.

"Lucius is as much a patron as a follower, without him to house and hide us; we would have been routed long ago. The same goes for Narcissa, though she has not been raised to brag about such things, she has tended more injuries and written more missives than any of the rest of us. She turned the strict upbringing of a pureblood woman into her sharpest weapons, we'd be lost without them," Voldemort said and a smile flittered across Narcissa's lips.

"So, Dumbledore is a Dark Lord, specifically the Dark Lord of the Prophecy, but he tried to make it about you so that you would die and he'd be the only one. But really it just ended with my parents dead," Harry summarized and frowned fiercely biting his lip.

"Basically, yes," Voldemort said and Harry lifted his eyes to meet Draco's.

"I'm sorry, I got taken in by his lies and I treated you unfairly when we were younger. I am glad that we've managed to be friends lately. I wasn't sure that I could trust you, I don't know who I call friends that I can actually trust, but I'm glad I have you," Harry said and smiled when Severus artfully pulled his empty tray out of the way just in time for Draco to launch himself at Harry for a hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Well that was a bit longer than the previous ones, but I am fairly happy with the content. Take a minute to let me know what you think and I would really appreciate it.)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Yay, yet another chapter. Yes I will get back to my other works eventually, but I have taken some time out of my schedule to work on this because I don't want the idea to escape me before I can put it down in words. No new warnings, so on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 4

Harry spent the better part of three weeks recovering, it was clear that he and Draco were not returning to Hogwarts, as they were already a week past their return date. The first day that he had not been back, Hedwig had turned up with an urgent letter from Hermione begging him to let her know if he was safe. She told him in the letter that if he was safe, not to reveal his location as several students were missing and Dumbledore seemed suspiciously unconcerned with any save him. She didn't tell him who else was missing, but he could take a guess that it would be students that were children of those allied with Voldemort.

It had been a matter of no debate to show the letter to everyone in the Manor, and the stricken look of fear and worry on Draco's face told him that Hermione was perhaps someone that could be trusted. They had spent two days plotting, mostly with Narcissa's help, to draft a letter that sounded casual and didn't reveal to her the danger that she was in, but urged her to find a way to sneak out of the school. Harry wrote the letter in his own hand and put his own words to it, Hermione would suspect something if he suddenly sounded different in his letters, she told him that he had a very distinctive way of speaking. So they sent the letter off with Hedwig, and advised her to meet them in the Forbidden Forest, on a certain day at a certain time, just outside of the wards. No one would likely follow her, she had earned the rank of Head Girl and could go wherever she pleased, but just in case, Severus had enclosed the recipe for a very technical potion that included ingredients that she would reasonably go past the wards in search of.

Today was the day they were set to meet her, she was supposed to be at the specified location around 6pm and Harry found that he could not eat his dinner for the nerves that shook him he wanted to see his friend. They were taking a chance; if she couldn't be trusted then it would be revealed that he was with Voldemort now. Of course they could try to wipe her memory; if she wandered out of the forest in a daze no one would doubt that she had encountered something terrible, even Hermione Granger couldn't account for all dangers. But it would hurt Harry and Draco both to know that she had turned on them.

Harry hid himself under the invisibility cloak and linked his hand with Voldemort's, he could not safely travel on his own without calling attention to his magical signature, so the other man was his only option, besides, he had never actually learned how to Apparate. Severus traveled with Draco; they figured that familiar faces would be the best way to help ease her in to the fact that it was Voldemort that they were now associated with, though Harry suspected that the real reason for bringing Draco along was more to do with matters of the heart.

They arrived in the forest earlier than the appointed meeting time, just to ensure that they were undetected, and they stood in the shadows of the massive trees, waiting for her to show up the cold was not so biting with the trees to break up the high winds. It was not long before she did; Hermione was always early if she could help it. She was wearing her winter gear and carried a potion's satchel in addition to her school bag; she looked around the area, as if actually interested in the sprouts that she might find amongst the undergrowth. But her eyes flickered around, searching the trees for those she was meant to meet.

Draco was the first to step out into view; she gasped audibly and flung herself at him, hugging him with all her might, it amused Harry that none of them behaved like the adults they were supposed to be when it came to displays of affection. He hugged her back and kissed her chastely on the cheek, his eyes shining with tears of joy, clearly he had missed her more than he had let on. She barely noticed when Severus and Voldemort emerged; it was only Harry that drew her attention. She freed one arm from the vice grip she had on Draco and pulled Harry in, holding them all close together.

"I was so worried when you two didn't show up. I knew that I couldn't be caught asking about Draco, but I hoped that you were together. Severus, thank you so much, and…you are Voldemort then?" she said, finally noticing the older adults in their space. Voldemort ducked his head in acknowledgement, considering her for a moment, as if he could read her without actually doing so, for all Harry knew, the man was capable of just that.

"Are you prepared to leave this place behind? Or do you wish to risk remaining here? I will have to alter your memory if you select the latter," Voldemort said softly, his eyes were serious but not harsh; she looked back at him and squared her shoulders, lifting her chin in a display of confidence.

"Yes, I've brought everything that I am going to need. I can't stay here knowing that something is going on, Dumbledore can't be trusted, and if Harry and Draco trust you then I trust you," Hermione said firmly and joined her hand with Draco's. Severus stepped in and put his hands on their shoulders, making it obvious that he would be the one to transport them. Harry shrugged and grabbed hold of Voldemort's hand again, laughing slightly when the taller man pulled him fully against his side.

"Alright then, it's settled, don't worry, the Manor has more than enough books for you to continue your education," Voldemort assured and then all of them were gone with a crack of magic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I know that it was shorter and a bit less cohesive than the other chapters, but it was just a time skip chapter and I still haven't mastered those. I hope you liked it anyway and will let me know what you thought.)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I am glad that this story seems to be so well received, it makes it slightly less guilt-inducing to think about all the other stuff I need to work on when I know that what I am doing is at least being appreciated. Anyway, I don't have any new warnings for you so on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 5

Once they were back at the Manor Harry settled himself on a plush sofa, shrugging when Voldemort sat beside him and together they watched as Hermione embraced Remus and Sirius, crying on them as Harry had done more than once during the course of his recovery. She shook Severus' hand before a nudge in the ribs from Sirius prompted the Potion's Master to hug the girl and whisper what Harry could only assume was an apology into her bushy hair. Harry guessed that he had been right when she broke into fresh tears and hugged the once dour man even more tightly.

After she had finished with the three men that Harry had been told to consider his Uncles, Draco tugged her over to the couch where his parents were seated and spoke softly, gesturing between them while blushing furiously. Harry smirked when Hermione turned bright red as well and bit his tongue to keep from laughing when Narcissa rose to her feet and swept both teens into a hug that lifted them from their feet. No one would guess that the thin woman was so strong, but neither Hermione nor Draco seemed to mind. There was a brief moment, the span of a few breaths, where it seemed that Lucius was frozen and then he stood and bowed gracefully, kissing the back of Hermione's hand before also crushing both of them in a hug.

"Did you know that they were together," Voldemort asked and Harry glanced at him, it was difficult to get used to being able to talk to the man so casually, but it was also strange to see that he wasn't much more of a man than Harry himself. Apparently in the process of reclaiming his sanity Voldemort had preformed rituals to restore his shattered soul, destroying the few Horcruxes that he had not already re-absorbed before the incident 16 years prior. But doing so had left him to age as he should have, the Horcruxes had simply paused time for him and so now Harry was forced to look at someone who was roughly 19 and attempt to take him seriously as a Dark Lord. It didn't often work.

"No, this year has been kind of tense; no one has really told each other much of anything. We were all suspicious of each other and uncomfortable and friendships sort of held together more out of habit than anything. Draco and I bonded over the last couple years, but we kept it under wraps because of what people would think, I assume that he and Hermione did the same," Harry said with a shrug and glanced across the room, Sirius, Remus, and Severus were sprawled together on one of the larger couches watching the proceedings across from them. Hermione and Draco were sitting on the couch, hands joined while Lucius and Narcissa gestured and debated, Harry thought that maybe they were trying to work out what proper courtship might entail concerning and established relationship.

"Are you jealous? I mean Draco hugged you pretty aggressively once you woke up," Voldemort said and his eyebrows raised in what Harry could only call a suggestive manner. He rolled his eyes and elbowed the Dark Lord playfully.

"Draco is touch-starved; he's spent his whole life around friends that wouldn't show him any affection. Certainly you've seen how much he hugs his parents; he doesn't have to be in a relationship with someone to want to snuggle up to them. As long as you don't mess up his hair he'll lay his head in your lap and read for hours. Besides, he and I talked about that, I don't really have a thing for blonds and he's not into blokes," Harry said and allowed himself to laugh outright at the face that the supposed Dark Lord made once he'd worked out the meaning of that last part. Voldemort frowned at the fun being had at his expense but let it slide with a shake of his head.

"A fair point I suppose. What of your other friends? Are none of them ones that you are willing to trust?" Voldemort asked and it was Harry's turn to frown. He scrubbed his hands under his glasses, trying to rub the guilty thoughts away as he thought of everyone that he knew and how distanced he had become from them. He wanted to believe that he could trust everyone, even if they bought into Dumbledore's lies, he was certain that they could be convinced of the truth if they just listened, even Ron, who was often bull-headed about an idea once he'd gotten it into his head.

"I don't know. I think…I think they'd all come around. Dumbledore, he seemed concerned that people trusted in me so easily, followed me so readily. I think, if you gave me the chance, I could convince even his closest allies to abandon him, perhaps not to join us, but at least to see him for what he is," Harry said at last, his expression thoughtful.

"What a Slytherin plan of action," Voldemort said, smirking as he leaned back, both arms pitched up along the back of the sofa.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. I think things would have worked out much differently if I had let the Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin though. And I don't think it would have been beneficial. Gryffindor has given me the opportunity to forge connections without the stigma of the House to hold me back," Harry said and looked slightly apologetic, but Voldemort only continued to smile.

"You're so Slytherin you out-maneuvered an ancient artifact. I'm impressed. We will start on plans to lure his treasured allies away from him, one by one if need be. Perhaps we can cause dissention in the ranks. You say that people followed you and trusted you, if you were to write letters to a few at a time, work on that trust, get them to see things in their own time, then maybe they'd do more than just leave him, they'd join us," Voldemort posited and Harry felt his lips draw into a grin despite himself. He had focused his attention so raptly on the other man that he barely noticed that his Uncles were looking at him with expressions that ranged from curiosity to vested interest. Whatever, they hadn't even told him that they were together until he'd woken up in the Manor; they could think whatever they wanted about him.

"So much scheming, he's already deeply paranoid, what do you think it would do to him to see his followers leave him like that…oh, oh I see, that's the plan," Harry said and couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Dumbledore going deeper into the madness that had consumed him already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Well, let me know what you thought of this one. I hope that I am not progressing things too quickly, there's just a lot of plot stuck in my head and trying to write it down in an outline just isn't working.)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I would like to note that I have written everything up until this point in the span of maybe 3 days, so I have just been trying to space the chapters out so as not to overwhelm you guys. Anyway, I figured that I would establish now as a warning that yes it is Sirius/Remus/Severus happening in that last chapter, so there's slash. Also for anyone who wants to make guesses and whatnot as to who will be on Harry's side, I can't promise you everyone will show up, but Dumbledore is the only one right now that I am concrete taking down.)

A Cold Sleep

Part 6

Harry followed the swooping pattern of Hedwig's flight; she was hunting in the large gardens that stretched farther than he could see through the snow. He always wished that she could spend all her time like that, free, no cage needed, now that he had left the Dursley's she wouldn't have to be caged ever again. It had been decided that she would not be the one carrying the letters that he and Hermione composed to their friends, she was too distinctive. None of them wanted Dumbledore to be able to find him by putting a tracer on his familiar. The Malfoy's had plenty of owls that were meant for discrete deliveries, those would be their means of communication.

"You shouldn't be out here without a cloak, you've only just recovered from your last experience," a soft voice said and Harry turned his head, wondering when Sirius had become the type of adult to give sensible advice.

"I know, I didn't really think about that, I just wanted to watch her, see her happy like this," Harry said and allowed himself to be pulled against his Uncle's side, tucked into the folds of the over-large fur cloak that he wore. Being the heir to the Black estate when Sirius had faked his death he had ensured that it was divided between Harry's and Narcissa's vaults. Narcissa had used some of it to procure actual decent clothing for Sirius and Remus, insisting that they would be harder to recognize if they deviated from their usual mode of dress. The rest had gone to ensuring that the other surviving members of the Black family were taken care of, to Harry's knowledge that meant at least one of them had been committed to St. Mungo's.

"I know, but you'll give Severus a fit. I don't know if he's ever going to stop worrying about you," Sirius said, shuffling Harry until he was able to get both arms around him and rest his chin on the younger man's head. Harry nearly rolled his eyes, but instead allowed the ridiculous method of measuring his height that Sirius had taken to employing. It was worth noting that as tall as he was, Sirius no longer had to stoop to put his chin on Harry's head, so obviously the potions were doing some good.

"He'd be worried about me even if he hadn't found me half-dead in the woods. Between him and Narcissa I think they've figured out my entire medical history, and I don't think they're very happy about it at all. I'm sorry he spends so much time away from you and Remus brewing potions for me though," Harry said and Sirius squeezed him tightly. Harry didn't care how embarrassed another person his age might have been to have their guardian hug them so, he'd gone a lifetime with such minimal contact that he soaked up every drop he received, he and Draco were not dissimilar in that regard.

"He'd be in the lab anyway, we still see him for meals and to sleep, besides, most of them can be left under monitoring charms for long spans. We actually see him more now that he's brewing your potions, none of that experimental nonsense where we don't see him for three days at a stretch," Sirius laughed softly before making a small triumphant noise when Hedwig's efforts paid off and she flew away to eat her prize in peace.

Harry chuckled and allowed himself to be herded back into the warmth of the Manor, he probably could have watched her fly from his bedroom windows, but there was something to be said for seeing her in the same environment. They removed their shoes and Sirius banished everything back to the cloak room where it belonged, Harry wasn't about to admit that he'd kept his shoes in his room, Narcissa would lecture him about propriety for sure.

"When were you and Hermione planning on starting your letter writing campaign?" Sirius asked, raking his hair back and twisting it into a knot, Harry figured that meant he intended to visit Severus in the lab.

"A few days, maybe a week at most. We decided to give any owls addressed to her time to find her and start with the people most concerned about her absence. We could have used people looking for me, but Dumbledore forbade anyone from trying to contact me as soon as it became common knowledge that I was missing. Hermione sent Hedwig from dinner the first night back so he couldn't stop her. You'd think that if he was really concerned about me being missing and no one else that he would encourage letter writing," Harry said with a shrug. He still didn't have an accurate picture of who was missing from the school, Hermione hadn't been able to account for more than a few, but Voldemort's followers had reported in that several of them had kept their children home for fear of the madness that had claimed Dumbledore.

"A decent course of action if I've ever heard one. You should probably avoid the main sitting room if you don't want to get dragged into courtship talks," Sirius said and patted Harry's shoulder before starting off toward the potions lab. Harry decided to take his Uncle's advice and made for the library, well, one of them anyway, he still considered Lucius' private study to be something of a second library, considering the sheer number of books it contained.

He wasn't surprised to find Tom there, sprawled out on a couch, basking in the sunlight like a cat. He was willing to bet that if he looked Crookshanks would be behind the couch enjoying the sun with just as much relaxation. The Library seemed to be constantly sunny, the weather outside had no bearing on the light that came from the windows. If he walked back out of the Library and checked any other window he would still see the overcast and snowy day for what it was.

"It's rude to stare," Tom commented, turning his head and smiling at Harry, the young man blushed for a moment at being caught and then rolled his eyes.

"It's rude to take up an entire couch," Harry responded and Tom grunted, flicking his wand and turning the couch into a futon, leaving Harry plenty of space to enjoy the sunlight. There was something to be said for such lazy and casual use of magic, it almost didn't feel right. But Harry shrugged and picked up the book he had been reading, he had a lot to learn about pure blood etiquette if he was ever going to present himself as anything other than the muggle-raised person that he was. Sure he could ask Lucius and Narcissa, Draco even, but they were all too wrapped up in what he assumed were wedding plans by now. Sirius had never cared for pure blood doctrine, and Harry had to admit that he was only learning it so that he did not look like a fool if he was ever required to speak as head of the Potter family in a formal setting.

He settled himself on the newly expanded couch and set the book on a nearby table, he'd read some more soon, just for a moment he wanted to be lazy. It was unfair how comfortable it was in the sun when the sun wasn't even real. He turned on his side and smiled when he saw Hermione's giant ginger cat stretched out on the floor, he still couldn't figure out how the beast had been coerced into a bag, but he was glad that she'd been able to bring her familiar with her. The warmth eased into his bones, chasing away the last of the cold that Sirius had been unable to and he closed his eyes, savoring it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Well I hope you liked it, leave me a review and let me know what you thought.)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I'm glad that you guys have stuck with me this far, I'm not adding any new warnings as yet, but that doesn't mean that there won't be some soon. So without more rambling, on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 7

Harry felt himself drifting off, his eyelids were heavy and the warmth had truly settled over him like a blanket. The book could wait, he supposed, beside him Tom shifted, a sound that was unmistakably a snore issued from his lips. A long sigh accompanied an arm that settled around his middle and Harry almost blinked himself awake, instead he allowed himself to roll with it and relaxed into Tom's hold as sleep finally claimed him.

It was probably the most comfortable nap that he had ever taken, of course he had never actually slept curled up with someone before. When he woke it was to Tom's entire body curled around him, holding him close, breathing softly, but not evenly enough that Harry believed he was asleep.

"You're comfortable," Tom said softly, bowing his head so that his cheek rested against the top of Harry's head.

"You too. I don't think I can think of you as some big bad Dark Lord though, when you're this cuddly and you let me call you Tom, you can't really be that bad, can you?" Harry said and chuckled, all but smirking when Tom let out an exasperated sigh.

"Tom's my name, Voldemort is my persona. But you know there's a difference. Dark isn't always evil, Light isn't always good. I've done terrible things, yes, I can't excuse that, even if I wasn't myself at the time, some part of me still did them. I found my way into Dark magic through blood rituals, trying to track down my birth parents, to ask them why. But I also found a means to punish those that had hurt me for so long, and I did not take the high road, I had my revenge," Tom's hand spread out along Harry's chest, holding him tightly. "Only, once I was recruited by Dumbledore, things got so muddled, I maintained my original goal of extended life, but somewhere along the way…something changed. I knew I was corrupted, but I couldn't stop it. Still I gained followers, somehow, having people that relied on me; it kept me from getting too far off track. When Dumbledore turned on me, publicly denounced me, I realized how far I had fallen. I didn't know how to change it then and I continued to spiral. It took me so long to come back to myself, to start fixing the damage I had done. And then he sent me after you and I died with my work unfinished. It was only once you brought me back that I was able to restore myself, only then was I really myself again. I really am that bad Harry," Tom said softly, his body tense, his fingers having clenched into the material of Harry's shirt.

"But you got better; you got out from under Dumbledore. He's the truly evil one. If you hadn't been taken in by him, you might not have done those awful things," Harry said and rolled over, looking into Tom's eyes, not caring that they were pressed together still. Tom's hand trembled slightly as he allowed himself to touch Harry's face, closing his eyes against the sincerity in those glowing green eyes.

"Your capacity to forgive is truly staggering. No wonder Dumbledore fears you, the lie he has lived so long, defender of the Light, it's who you are. And yet, here you are, in the arms of a Dark Lord," Tom said softly, blue eyes opening again waiting to see the anger in the other man's face. Harry only smiled at him.

"There is no Dark without Light, no Light without Dark, that's the power he knows not, that we are stronger together than we are alone," Harry said softly, his own interpretation of the prophecy causing a smile to blossom across Tom's lips.

"Sometimes I think I could kiss you," Tom said with a slight chuckle, his cheeks slightly tinged pink at the brazenness of his comment.

"Well I'm certainly not going to stop you," Harry responded, smiling at the look of shock that played over Tom's face.

"Really?" Tom asked softly and Harry simply gave a bob of his head. It was with that assurance that Tom leaned in and sealed their lips together; wrapping both of his arms around Harry and holding him close. Harry responded in kind, kissing Tom back with equal fervor, sliding his hands into the other man's hair and holding on through the wave of euphoria that crashed into him. He didn't protest when Tom gained the leverage to tip him onto his back, instead he tilted his head up so that their mouths fit together even more completely and relished the taste of increasingly deep kisses.

"I've been waiting for that," Harry said, tangling his fingers in Tom's hair and smiling brilliantly.

"Have you?" Tom asked, leaning down and kissing Harry softly, the barest brush of lips.

"Kind of, yeah, I mean, for a few years now," Harry responded and blushed fiercely at the look of confusion that caused Tom's eyebrows to vanish beneath his now thoroughly tousled hair.

"Years? Harry, whatever can you mean," Tom said, stroking his thumb along the other man's jaw, staring down into green eyes with rapt attention.

"I met you, in my second year, well, not you, but a Horcrux I suppose. The diary, I think he probably wasn't quite right, being stuck in a book and all. But he was really charming and attractive and, I mean, not right away but after a year or so, I kept remembering you, or him," Harry sputtered, his face absolutely burning with embarrassment. Tom stroked flushed cheeks and pressed his forehead against Harry's.

"That couldn't have been easy for you, being attracted to someone you believed to be your greatest enemy. It shouldn't have been a monster like me," Tom said softly, one hand sliding down to rest over Harry's hammering heart.

"But you aren't a monster, I mean, I was a bit conflicted, but not because it was you. I didn't understand it, because I had been attracted to girls too, and I thought maybe something was wrong with me, liking both, you know? My family, well my Uncle and Aunt, they always said that there were good honest people and then there were deviant freaks who liked people of the same gender. And I didn't know what to think. I thought, maybe I was broken, or that I really was a freak. It wasn't like I ever got 'the talk' and I didn't know how anything worked really. And then Draco and I talked and he pointed out that I was probably bisexual and he had to give me a whole lecture on how it's normal and all that and I shouldn't be ashamed and, yeah, that's where the problem was, not that it was you," Harry said quickly, between rapid draws of breath to keep himself going.

Tom waited patiently, his hands still working to soothe the panic in the other man. There had to be some form of punishment for the relatives that had treated Harry in such a manner. Of course he'd already thought about such a thing when the Patronus had found him and urged him out into the world to find its caster. Seeing Harry curled up, almost dead from cold and hunger, it had nearly been enough to send him up the road to kill the relatives then and there. But now, seeing the complete medical report that Severus and Narcissa had compiled and hearing what those people had done to him for so long, his resolve was fortified. He'd spare the cousin, but the Uncle and Aunt needed to go.

"Oh Harry," Tom whispered, and kissed the other man, holding him close and once again marveling at the level of compassion and love and trust and hope that existed inside of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Well that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed it and will leave me a comment or a review. I really do love hearing from you guys.)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I guess if you haven't figured it out by now, this story has slash, and that isn't going to change. Just so you are aware. I know lots of you have plans and ideas for what should happen, but this is still my story and an AU that I have built, so please try not to be too disappointed if things don't go the way you want them to. Okay? Anyway, on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 8

Harry leaned back on the couch, flicked his glasses off with one hand and rubbed his eyes with the other. With Hermione having vanished from Hogwarts Dumbledore had become paranoid enough to have the Daily Prophet begin printing articles about the issue of missing students. They accused Death Eater's of having been involved, since many of the missing were their children. The articles, however, made no mention of Harry as being missing. It was strange, the disjointed line of thought that the Headmaster was taking, being so actively interested in finding Harry but refusing to acknowledge his absence.

"He's issued a gag order, essentially, when it comes to people saying anything about you being gone. Whether he likes it or not, he won't have control of the papers much longer. I've let it slip in the Ministry that you never returned from winter break. They traced your magic to where we found you," Lucius smiled a bit smugly behind his glass of wine. "They are operating on the assumption that he's had you killed, or perhaps done the deed himself. Talk has already turned against him, it would seem his last few years of paranoia and desperate insistence that a Dark Lord has returned that no one has seen, have led people to believe that he has something to hide. As yet it is only whispered, a sense of unease, but once certain Ministry officials make statements to the Prophet, I believe tides will begin to change rather rapidly," Lucius said and sipped at his drink, clearly savoring it.

"We've received a few letters addressed to Hermione as well, though some ask after Harry, others even ask after Draco. The Houses are varied, though it is worth note that some letters have been spelled with hidden ink, begging a way out. Tensions have risen inside Hogwarts just within this past week. I have not decided upon a course of action as yet, but I believe that getting responses to those seeking assistance should take priority. Of course, there must be some sort of failsafe, we cannot trust blindly," Narcissa said, her expression cool and considering, she had laid the letters out on the table surrounding the Prophet. There were far more than any of them had expected.

"These are our friends, people we have known for ages. Some of them…I don't know if we can trust them, but we can't leave them. You're right Narcissa, we have to find some way to determine if they can be trusted or not. We have to be able to get them out without revealing ourselves," Harry said and replaced his glasses, running a hand back through his hair and staring into space for a moment, unsure of what they could do.

Remus stood from another couch, untangling his limbs from those of Sirius and Severus, he was looking far better than he usually did the day after a full moon. Of course Harry assumed that part of the experimental stuff that Severus had involved himself in was likely means and methods of helping the other man. It wasn't like he truly had anything else to do, and the three rarely went out in public unless it was a vacation to a location far enough away that they wouldn't be recognized. Being dead or presumed missing was difficult business in a community as small as Wizarding Britain.

"The Shrieking Shack, at least for a little while, we can use it. It's out of bounds, beyond the wards of the school. But it isn't unusual for students to visit the Willow, to see who can avoid getting hit the longest. There are no anti-Apparation wards; no one would have to be seen entering it or leaving it. If we utilize Veritaserum then there won't be a chance for them to lie, or perhaps someone more skilled in mind magic? Regardless, it would be a good staging area, easy enough to Obliviate them and send them back. We don't have to bring them here if they do need out. We could get them back to their parents," Remus suggested, his expression thoughtful as he paced the length of the rug that adorned the sitting area.

"Excellent idea," Tom leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, snatching up a parchment that no one had expected them to receive. "I suggest we start with someone that already knows how to get past the Willow, there's the most significant chance that the Weasley boy is involved in Dumbledore's scheming, but if he isn't then his parents' affiliation make him at risk from the old man," Tom said and Harry swallowed against the lump in his throat. He allowed his eyes to meet Hermione's and she looked just as torn as he felt. Draco tucked his future wife against his side in a quick hug, knowing that she still cared about one of the first friends that she had ever made.

"I haven't been able to tell with Ron for a long time. He seemed so supportive of Dumbledore, and his parents have been with the Order for a long time. But he's been just as uncomfortable as the rest of us. I know he's been talking to his brothers, whatever they've been saying; he's been burning the letters. I just don't know," Hermione shook her head and accepted the letter that Tom passed her, reading it was a critical eye. "It sounds like him, nothing is forced or unusual, but I don't know," she said and tapped the parchment with her wand, muttering a string of spells, all of which fizzled without revealing anything until the last one she cast caused a brilliant golden glow.

"What on earth was that?" Harry asked, eyes wide, he had startled back, only to be intercepted by Tom's arms in a casual, comforting hug.

"Bit of a trick you pick up in Ancient Runes, if you're not sure what you're reading is safe; you can check it for intent. It doesn't always work, the person has to be experiencing strong emotions when writing the piece, but this is fresher and definitely laced with emotion. He's genuine, in here at least. He's scared, badly so if it reacted like this. Get a hold of him, get a hold of his brothers, let me see the letter from Ginny," Hermione said and with a grim expression repeated the string of spells on the other parchment. The same golden glow erupted from it, and she frowned deeply.

"They're bound to be frightened, if they are defying their parents. It's out of their character to do so; they'll need to be sent far from here for a time if they are really wanting out. Long enough for that clock to be circumvented," Severus said, he looked contemplative.

"That's easy though," Sirius twisted his hair around his fingers and tugged. "It functions on the same principal as the tapestry at Grimmauld. Tied to blood and magic, it is technically illegal, even if it is something as harmless as a monitoring spell. Lucius I think you can see where I am going with this," Sirius said and grinned.

"Of course, it would be well within Ministry prevue to search the house of an official if they were suspected of collusion with someone unstable such as Dumbledore. Arthur could not refuse unless he wished to risk the loss of his job. It would be all too easy to confiscate the clock at that time," Lucius said and smirked, it would be satisfying to turn the tables on the Weasley patriarch for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: That's it for now, I hope that you have enjoyed it so far and will leave me a comment or a review to let me know what you think.)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I am really on a roll with this story, but don't worry about anything, I have other stuff working, I am just in the drafting phase and it is taking a bit because the next few chapters of my other story are important. Anyway, no new warnings apply, but I hope by now you have stopped reading if you don't like what I've given you. Anyway, on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 9

"You wanted to talk to me Uncle Severus?" Harry said, his voice carried obvious fatigue as he stepped into the potions lab, his eyes were burning. He and Hermione and Draco had been up late drafting letter after letter, trying to get it perfect. They had gone to bed in the early hours of the day, still not satisfied with their efforts. They didn't want to reveal anything too important, but how else were they going to convince Ron and Ginny to come to the Shrieking Shack? The Ministry raid on the Burrow would not take place for a few days, but they were eager to have something ready to go as soon as possible.

"Yes. Come in, sit down before you fall down," Severus said and gestured to a bench seat near an unoccupied table. Harry obeyed, leaning his head into his hands briefly, stifling a yawn as best he could.

"Sorry, I don't know that I've ever taken anything this seriously," Harry said softly and accepted the mug of tea that Severus handed to him.

"I could make a comment about that, but I will let it slide. That's not what I wanted to talk to you about. It's about Tom," Severus said and though his voice seemed casual he looked serious when Harry chanced to meet his eyes.

"What about him?" Harry asked, tilting his head to the side and trying to determine whether or not he was about to get yelled at and if he should be ready to run for cover.

"He is a Dark Lord, I know you know that," Severus gathered his thoughts for a brief moment and Harry took a long sip of tea to calm himself. "I am his apprentice, even with the interruption that occurred due to his temporary death. And I know how things have worked in the past; I…want you to know that I have no intention of turning on him. He has my loyalty, he always will," Severus said and Harry blinked in confusion, this was not the conversation that he had expected when he sat down.

"Severus, I don't…" Harry trailed off.

"You don't realize what this means? Ah, but of course you don't. You've only really just begun to realize your place in the world, the strength of the Light within you. Voldemort has my loyalty, so too do you. Do you understand?" Severus said softly and Harry swallowed his next mouthful of tea wrong, leaving him to sputter and cough for a moment.

"You're recognizing me as the Light Lord, Tom was saying that I was…that..." Harry breathed and felt like someone had punched him in the chest, leaning forward and staring into his tea, searching for his answers.

"There hasn't been one in a long time Harry. Dumbledore has made sure of that, and I want you to know that you will have support. You will not be alone," Severus stepped around the table and gently tugged Harry's hands away from their death grip on the table, pulling the younger man against his chest. "It is a big responsibility, a title that I am sure you would wish away if you could. But you will not be alone, you have more people behind you than you realize. You and Tom, the two of you united will bring together the Light and the Dark and those who walk the line in between, there is power in that unity, trust me Harry," Severus said softly, stroking messy hair and letting shaking hands grip his robes tightly.

"You and Sirius and Remus," Harry stated, his eyes were still wide with fear when he looked up into his Uncle's face.

"Yes, our bond is stronger for the inherent balance within it. Remus in the Light, myself in the Dark, and Sirius somewhere between, but the bond would not work if there were not love, if there were not trust. I know that it can be hard to understand sometimes, that Darkness and Light should not love so readily. I know that some people believe that Darkness can only come from evil, but I think you have seen that that's not always true," Severus said softly and tried to smooth down the constant mess that Harry's head always seemed to have sitting atop it.

"I have, I know that," Harry gave a shaky nod and took a deep breath, doing his best to calm himself.

"I know this is all new to you, I know that everything seems to be moving rather quickly, but try not to let it get to you. We will be with you. All of us will be with you, not matter what. Now go take a nap, I'm sure that Tom could probably be convinced to let you share the couch with him again," Severus said and smirked when Harry blushed bright red. He ushered the younger man out of the lab with a pat on the back and watched until Harry turned the corner, how he wished that Lily and James could be there to see their son growing into such a wonderful person.

Harry made his way down the halls, learning the many turns of the Manor's layout had not taken him long with Draco's assistance. But the library was his favorite place aside from his own room. He liked the sunlight, the large windows, and the comfortable seating. It had none of the oppressive atmosphere of Hogwarts library, as much time as he'd spent in there with Hermione, he was pretty sure that he could tell the difference.

Just as Severus had predicted Tom was seated in the Library, his feet propped up on a coffee table that had not been there before. He was invested in a book that looked like it might have been older than Hogwarts, reading it without touching it so as not to destroy it. Harry waited to be noticed, even though he was falling asleep on his feet, but he didn't want to be rude.

"Come here Harry," Tom said softly and smiled when Harry obeyed without a word. He sat on the couch beside Tom, letting the light warm him outside as Tom's kiss warmed him inside. He had a tough time not wanting to kiss Tom; it was very tempting to spend all of his free time in the other man's presence. But both of them had other obligations, and they hadn't done much more than share a kiss on occasion. Sometime soon Harry hoped that he would get the opportunity to sleep curled up with the other man again.

"Severus said you'd be here," Harry said softly, sleep already clouding his voice as he settled into Tom's lap. The other man chuckled and summoned a blanket, throwing it over Harry to make sure that he was extra warm and comfortable.

"And I will be here when you wake up. Get some rest," Tom said gently, petting Harry's head until the tension left his body and he was well and truly asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I'm going to leave it here for now. I hope that you guys like it and will leave me some comments and reviews. Thanks for reading!)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I am starting to slow down on this story a little bit, unfortunately, having a computer die on you will do that. But rest assured that I have managed to salvage everything I had written for this and have backed it up. My wonderful fiancé bought me a new computer so that I wouldn't be without my only means of typing and all that. Shout out to the blue box store for having decent laptops for less than $250 or else I wouldn't be getting anything written again until well past tax return season. Anyway, no new warnings for this chapter so let's get on with the show.)

A Cold Sleep

Part 10

Harry felt himself waking up, even though he really didn't want to, he was comfortable beyond words, but his body had gotten all the rest that it wanted. Now he needed food and he hoped that he would be able to get something decent in his stomach before Hermione and Draco tracked him down for more attempts at letter writing. A long groan escaped his throat and he opened his eyes, staring blankly at the library around him, noting that everything was blurry. He reached up and touched his face, looking for his glasses, confused because he knew that he had not taken them off before he laid down to fall asleep. It was rare that he slept without them anymore, Hermione had found him an enchantment to make them unbreakable and he figured that it was better to not wake up and be disoriented in the event of an emergency.

"They're right here, calm down," Tom's voice was soft and calm as he placed the frames in Harry's grasping hands.

"Sorry, I'm not used to sleeping without them anymore," Harry responded, his breathing calming down as soon as the glasses were on his face. He looked at Tom and blushed running his hand through his hair and attempting to sit up without falling over onto Tom or the book that he was reading.

"It's okay, a reasonable response from the environment you'd been in for so long. Did you sleep well?" Tom said softly and with a wave of his hand sent the book to a safe place. He drew Harry into his arms, practically pulling the other man into his lap and holding him close.

"I did, you're remarkably easy to sleep next to," Harry admitted and shifted his weight so that he was fully seated in Tom's lap, his arms around the other man's shoulders. Tom smiled and drew Harry closer, kissing him softly on the lips and letting himself relax into the contact. Between them the silent mutual agreement to deepen the kiss occurred and soon their tongues were sliding against one another, hands grasping at each other's clothing.

"Would you perhaps then grace me with your presence at night now and again? I ask no more than for you to share my bed," Tom stroked a hand along the length of Harry's back. "It would not be so bad to keep each other warm once in a while, to sleep entwined as we did the other day," he said gently, letting his fingers splay out across the broad expanse of Harry's back. Now that he was being fed properly and getting the potions he needed, he was filling out as he should have done in the past few years, every day he looked more the man he was meant to be. Tom would perhaps always be a bit larger, but when it came right down to it there would be little real difference between them after Harry had caught up on his growth.

"You would want me to share your bed? You really mean it?" Harry asked softly, his face clearly displaying the shock that he felt at someone genuinely wanting to be in his presence for so long. He was adapting to the idea of course, after a month or so in the company of people that cared about him, but sometimes it still took him by surprise.

"Of course, I do," Tom said sincerely, his other hand cupping the side of Harry's face, stroking his thumb along the other man's jaw. He smiled gently and leaned in, gently capturing Harry's lips with his own, drawing him into the most intense kiss that they had shared yet.

"Yes, I will, whenever you want me to join you I will," Harry said with conviction as they broke apart and Tom's face practically glowed with the smile that he gave Harry.

"Tonight, for certain, I would hold you in my arms again," Tom said and kissed Harry's cheek, trailing his lips along until they reached the scar upon the other man's forehead. The unintentional Horcrux, the one that he had absorbed the night he had been reborn, the one that had set him well and truly upon the path to becoming himself again. Part of him wondered if he would have ever regained himself if that piece of him had not lived in Harry for so long, dwelling in the goodness of his soul and learning to let go of hate and madness.

"I will be there," Harry responded and kissed Tom on the nose, smiling with the other man wrinkled up his face at the display of affection. They were interrupted however, by the long and persistent growling of Harry's stomach, leaving the other man to blush fiercely.

"It is about time for lunch, let's go and join the others. I'm sure that I could use some food as well," Tom said softly and nudged Harry until he stood up and stretched himself out, groaning in satisfaction at the sensation.

"How is it only lunch time? I mean I swear I needed more sleep than that," Harry said and smiled when Tom stood up, also stretching, his long limbs seeming even longer than before. The fact that he had grown so much in so short a time had certainly helped Harry's confidence, but he had no relief from the constant pain of said growth. His muscles and joints constantly ached, and he needed his clothing adjusted every couple of days either to accommodate more height or a broadening of his chest. He wasn't complaining of course, he was glad that he was no longer so small, but he wished that he could at least have a potion for the pain now and then.

"The more relaxed you are when you manage to sleep, the more restful that sleep actually is," Tom said, sliding his arm around Harry's shoulders when he stood up. Pulling the other man close for a moment before dropping his arm so that he could twine their hands together. Harry blushed yet again, cursing himself for being so prone to doing so around Tom, but he couldn't really do anything else. That was just the way Tom made him feel, he assumed that it would be like that for some time, at least until he got used to being around the other man.

"Then I am going to sleep like never before tonight," Harry said confidently and it was Tom that blushed this time, realizing that Harry truly trusted him enough to relax fully around him. He would not have believed that such a thing was possible when he'd come back from near death, but he couldn't be happier for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Well, there it is for now. I hope that you liked it and will leave me a comment or a review. If you notice anything off about formatting or something, let me know, this is a new computer and I have never used this version of Word before, I've been working with one that is 9 years out of date, so yeah. Thanks for reading.)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I'm starting to slow down on these, I don't have nearly the backlog that I did before, and I might have to ease up on the post rate, but we will see how things go. So, I am just hoping to keep things rolling while also getting back on track for my older works. Also, I seem to be prone to losing these chapters because this new computer is structured oddly and things don't save in the places that I need them to. Anyway, on with the show.)

A Cold Sleep

Part 11

After lunch Harry found himself at the hands of Hermione and Draco, being dragged to the room that had been set up for Hermione. There was no way that Lucius and Narcissa were going to let the pair share a room just yet, not in official terms, but Harry was certain that they found their way to each other's beds at night. He didn't want to think over much about what they might get up to, but at the same time with how his relationship with Tom seemed to be developing he wondered if they might be a source of advice. His Uncles knew about the relationship, and they might be the best authority on the matter, but he didn't know how to approach them with something so sensitive. Rather, he had no idea how to really talk to an older adult about sex or anything of the kind, Draco had been his first and only source of education on the matter.

"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione's voice was concerned and Harry blinked his eyes back into focus, shifting in the chair and turning his attention to her.

"Yeah, just a bit out of it," Harry responded, raking his fingers through his hair and leaning forward, attempting to keep himself invested in the new letter that they had drafted without him.

"Severus got him out of bed early this morning for a talk," Draco said with a bit of a smirk and Harry fought against the blush that crept up his neck, ducking his head and fixing his eyes on the letter. He read it to himself, trying to use the words to distract himself from the nightmare that was his two friends poking their noses into his life.

"A talk? Is that supposed to be code for something?" Hermione said, raising an eyebrow as she glanced between the two. Draco laughed as Harry's blush only grew deeper.

"No, it's not. He wanted to talk to me about some stuff and it's not that sort of stuff because I would never talk to my Uncles about that kind of stuff because that's awkward," Harry said in a rush of breath, wondering why he was feeling so embarrassed. Was it Tom? Or was it that he had been recognized as the Light Lord? He didn't know which subject was more embarrassing but something was getting to him, leaving him to feel more awkward than he had in years.

"Hey, relax, breathe, it's not a big deal. You think my parents haven't been lecturing me for the last few days about propriety and making sure that I know everything there is to know about safe sex? Mind you they do this only to me, they trust Hermione to know what's up. I know you grew up in a really repressed environment, but believe me, there's nothing all that awkward about those things," Draco said, patting Harry on the shoulder, letting the other man lean into his touch for some sort of comfort. Draco was never one to deny someone a chance to cuddle, he certainly wouldn't start doing so when one of his friends was in distress.

"I just…I have gone most of my life without parental figures and now I have three of them, well, five really because your parents are trying to help too. But it's really confusing and strange, do you know how weird it is to be able to ask someone older than me a question and have it taken seriously? To be able to go to them with my problems and have them actually do something about those problems? I mean, I appreciate it, but I don't know. I always felt like a child with the Weasleys and the last time I actually saw any of my Uncles I was 14 so I was a child. And yeah," Harry said, his head practically buried in Draco's robes as Hermione stroked his hair.

"I can't say I know how you feel, not exactly. But I've seen you struggle with it over the years. You've just got to get used to being able to rely on someone other than yourself. It's hard after so long, I imagine, but you can do it. None of us are going anywhere Harry, we're all going to be here for you," Hermione said, carefully tugging Harry's hands out of his lap and giving him her hands to hold onto instead of digging his fingers into his palms.

"I know, that's what's so weird. Severus…he promised me that they'd be with me, that I would have support. And I guess I just don't know what to do with that, you know? It has been kind of gnawing at the back of my mind most of the day. I am so used to people not believing me, not trusting me, not taking me seriously, and disregarding me in general. The opposite is so surreal. And I feel like I have entered a totally different world because of it," Harry admitted and looked up at his friends. They smiled at him, each in their own way, but it was comforting all the same.

"That much I understand, having it stated so clearly must have been odd for you. But if Severus says it, he means it, I promise you that," Draco said gently and he and Hermione sat on either side of Harry, pulling his mind away from his panic and directing it toward the project at hand but reclaiming the letter.

"I think we managed to hit upon a decent response this morning. My mind must have worked on it while I was asleep, but I think that this is our best bet to convince Ron and Ginny of our intentions without revealing our position or location," Hermione said softly and Harry reviewed the letter once again.

"None of us will be going?" Harry asked after a moment, his eyes fixed on the words 'meet an old friend'.

"No, considering the current risks, Sirius and Remus decided that they would be the ones to go and make contact. Severus would be too much of a risk, just like us, if Dumbledore were to get his hands on him again. While Severus is trained and experienced, I don't think that anyone wants to take chances right now," Draco supplied his voice level and steady.

"Besides, Dumbledore is going to get steadily more paranoid if he loses more students. I know the plan is to influence opinions from the inside, but if we get all of the at-risk students out of the way, he's going to notice something," Hermione said and laid the letter down again.

"Right, what are we going to do with Ron and Ginny? Are they going to stay here? They can't go to the Burrow," Harry said, relieved to have his thoughts refocused on something that wouldn't leave him heaving with anxiety.

"We're in the process of talking with Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, all of them are out of the house. We need to determine how likely they are to be questioned or pressured by their parents. If it comes to it, I'm suspecting that my father is going to have a house full of Weasley children and he's going to be menacingly happy about the matter," Draco said earning a snort of laughter from Harry and Hermione.

"That would be a bit of a kick in the pants for Arthur and Molly, wouldn't it? All of their children winding up under the care of the Malfoy family," Harry said with something resembling a gleeful smirk on his lips.

"Father is practically bubbling with enthusiasm at the idea," Draco confirmed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: That's all for now. I hope you guys like it and will leave me a review. For those complaining about short chapters, I know they're short. Right now, short is how my brain is working. Okay? Bear with me and everything will be fine in the end.)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I'm back for more. I know that I have been keeping up so far, but I am starting to think that this story is going to be longer than originally intended, and I don't know where there's going to be a stopping point yet. At any rate, I thank you for sticking with me and taking the time to read my updates. On with the show.)

A Cold Sleep

Part 12

If someone had told him a month or so ago, that he would end up sharing a bed with Tom Riddle, the Lord Voldemort, he would have told them that they'd lost the plot. He would of course have been mildly paranoid that they had been reading his mind or that they'd somehow spied on his dreams. But he would not have believed them. Now though, as he brushed his teeth in the bathroom attached to his personal room, he couldn't believe that things could have worked out any other way.

Though he was not ready to say the words, he knew in his heart that he loved Tom, was in love with him, whatever people might want to call it. Severus had said it was easy for the Dark to love the Light, but Harry marveled at just how easy it had been. He wondered if Tom loved him, thought that maybe he did, or was close to doing so. Asking to share a bed with Harry was perhaps as good a sign of that as any, but Harry did his best not to assume that he would receive any love in his life. It wasn't the best way to live, and it led to serious bouts with depression, but he didn't know how else to be. He was learning, now that he was away from Dumbledore and his family it felt easier, to trust, to love, and to breathe.

He rinsed his mouth and stared at himself, barely recognizing the man that stared back at him. The last month had seen so much growth and change in his body, his face looked far more mature than it had back in school, he actually had to shave regularly now. He was taller, broader, everything about him felt like it had grown, from his body to his personality to his spirit. If Dumbledore saw him now, Harry liked to believe that the old man wouldn't even be able to recognize him. The difference was astounding.

His hair was growing as well, getting longer and longer, for the first time in his memory it was growing longer instead of just replacing what Petunia had chopped off. It was still a mess, but it now reached far enough to cover his ears and hung in his eyes if he didn't do something about it. Perhaps he would let it get longer, like his Uncles Severus and Sirius, he would at least have them to look to for how to care for it. Lucius would probably be a good source as well, though Harry suspected that a great deal of time went into the blond man's hair, and he just wanted the basics.

With a shrug he slipped his dressing gown on, securing the shiny blue garment over his pajamas, wondering how on Earth the marvelous wardrobe continued to fit him. He did not question Narcissa and Lucius in their ability to select clothes that would make anyone look their best, but he was starting to suspect that his clothing had cost more than the standard, if they'd been able to grow with him so readily. He wondered if there was ever going to be a way that he could convince them to let him pay them back for the kindness. That one sounded more difficult than outwitting Dumbledore.

He stuck his feet into his slippers and grabbed his wand from the nightstand, spelling the lights off with a wave and closing the door behind him on the way out. Dropping his wand into his pocket he made his way down the hall, toward Tom's room. He had been shocked to realize that he had been placed in the family wing even before he'd woken up from his brush with death. Hermione had been given a room right next to his, there seemed to be no question of the fact that they belonged with family and not on the other side of the Manor where the guest rooms were located. It was touching really, Harry hadn't ever really been welcomed in such a fashion before.

Once in front of Tom's door he summoned all the confidence that he could and knocked, waiting patiently. The door swung open after a scant few seconds, though Tom remained busy at a desk in the corner Harry took it for the invitation that it was and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. He looked around the room, noting that Tom had lived here for longer and as such had filled out the décor with several bookshelves and a myriad of other things, including what looked to be magical artifacts contained in glass cases. The room was on the opposite side of the hall from Harry's and instead of facing the back gardens, looked out onto a courtyard of sorts. It was more of a greenhouse, given all the charms and enchantments in place that made it habitable to the odd and rare plants that Severus cultivated for his potions.

"I thought perhaps that you might not show up," Tom said softly, rising from the desk, setting his quill back into its holder and giving a final glance at whatever it was that he'd been working on. Harry could see that it was a single sheet of parchment, perhaps a letter of some sort. Tom was still the leader of a rather large group of people, it was not unreasonable that he communicate with them even though he was currently keeping himself out of the public eye. A brilliant move on his part really, to return and stay silent about it, leaving Dumbledore to look ever more the fool as he tried to convince people of something that no one had seen except for Harry. And Harry hadn't been helpful in that department either, insisting that he didn't know what he had seen, not for sure, only that Pettigrew had killed Cedric. He'd planned from that very night to keep out of the war, having seen Voldemort return and knowing that the Dark Lord was not truly his problem.

It had been satisfying to see Voldemort execute Peter, on some level it had disappointed him that he'd not been allowed to do so, but he settled for being glad that it was done all the same. Harry had locked eyes with Voldemort, still at the time deformed and corrupted by the mangling of his soul and the Dark magic that had been used to restore him, and known that he was not truly the enemy. If he'd wanted Harry dead, he could have done it in an instant, instead he gave a wave of his hand and turned his back on the teenager, awaiting the arrival of his Death Eater servants and giving Harry ample time to escape with Cedric's body.

"I would have let you know if I was going to change my mind," Harry said softly and returned the embrace that Tom wrapped him in, sighing at the comfort it brought him. He might never get over how good it felt to be hugged, no matter who it was that hugged him, but there was something special about the way that Tom held him, something that made him cling a bit more tightly than he did to anyone else.

"I know, forgive me my insecurities, I have never actually been in this position before," Tom's fingers played with the material of Harry's dressing gown. "Strange as it may sound, I don't have any experience with relationships," he said, looking into Harry's eyes for a moment before looking away again. In response Harry cupped Tom's face in his hands and drew him in for a kiss.

"Me neither, not really. I'm new to this. We will figure it out," Harry said softly, sincerely. He smiled when Tom did and allowed himself to be hugged tightly once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: This is where I leave you for now. I hope that you liked it. I know I've asked before, but if you could leave me a comment or a review and let me know that you liked it, I would really appreciate it. Sometimes my creativity needs a bit of a push.)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I warned you that I might be slowing down a little bit. But don't worry, I fully intend on finishing this story, and hopefully every other story that I've left unfinished so far. It's a tall order, but so is getting out from under Depression, baby steps. Anyway, warnings for some torture type imagery, but it's not super graphic, so on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Chapter 13

At some point in the middle of the night, Harry woke up screaming, his body wracked with pain, every inch of him feeling like it was being torn apart. Every breath was agony and he was certain that someone had broken each one of his ribs in a single crushing blow. His head pounded and all of his muscles rebelled, convulsing instead of obeying his commands. Were it not for Tom's presence and quick work to restrain the other man, Harry very well might have clawed his own skin open.

Spelling the lights on and summoning the others with a few harsh strokes of his wand, Tom set himself to the task of combating the Dark magic that ravaged Harry's body. It was like nothing he had ever seen before, deeply entrenched in blood rituals, a malignant presence that almost made Tom want to vomit. As deep in the Dark as he was, it was astonishing that something could have such an effect on him, but here he was, barely able to focus as he watched Harry thrash against the bindings that he had conjured.

"Severus, this is Dumbledore's work. I can feel it, but I can't stop it," Tom said, panting through the effort it took to drive his own magic against that which was assaulting Harry. Severus was instantly at Tom's side, wand making quick movements as he spoke under his breath, his eyes were intense.

"Blood magic, but something more, something worse," Severus covered his nose with the sleeve of his pajamas and coughed violently. "Necromantic. Not Dark magic, Blood magic. He can't find Harry but now he doesn't need to," Severus spoke with great effort and it was only when Sirius stepped forward and gripped his shoulders that he was able to stand firmly again.

"Necromantic? The bastard has Lily and James, he's stolen their remains," Sirius said, pushing as much of his magic as he could into Severus, hoping that he might be able to give his partner enough strength to begin fighting back. But it was useless, all of them were flung back, leaving Harry to scream and writhe on the bed as his friends and family stared on in horror.

"We need to find him, we need to stop him," Remus said, his hands shaking with rage as he knelt to assure himself that neither of his partners were hurt. Severus had a nosebleed and Sirius looked unfocused, but both of them seemed alright. Lucius took a knee to see to Tom, cringing at the blood streaming down the Dark Lord's face from his nose and a gash above his left eye. The magical backlash had been enough to do some serious damage to the men that had been trying to combat it, none of them were going to be in much shape to help at this rate.

"And we will, Narcissa, my love, I must beg you, stay here, tend to those that need it. Draco, you know what to do if someone tries to breach the wards. Remus come with me, you're the only one fit to help me right now," Lucius said and transfigured his night clothes into a set of heavy winter robes.

"I'm coming with you. I'm stronger than you think," Hermione spoke up, her eyes fierce as she transfigured her own clothing. She met Draco's eyes for a moment and the blond man nodded his affirmation, he trusted her.

"I like three to one odds better," Remus said, his panic obvious even as he gave Severus and Sirius each a quick kiss in parting.

The three departed with little else said between them. Narcissa at once took to healing those that had been harmed by the corrupted magic, her expression tight and professional, it was all that she could do to cast a silencing spell around the bed, to keep Harry's pitiful cries from reaching them. Draco had assumed a meditative position in the corner of the room, clearly looking into the wards to ensure that everything was as it should be. No normal magic should have been able to get past them, but if this was truly something as vile as the others believed then there was no way that even the ancient wards would be enough to stop it.

Sirius regained himself first, swearing under his breath as he wiped the blood away from Severus' face, trying to keep his eyes off of the tormented figure that Harry presented. He kept his head down, swallowing thickly against the pall cast about the room by the evil in the invading magic. He hadn't felt something quite so sickening or disturbing since he'd been a young man living under the harsh teachings of his family. Severus remained stunned, his eyes unfocused, Narcissa had done all that she could for him and so Sirius simply held him close until he came around, hoping to shield him from the corruption in the room with some of his own magic.

Narcissa remained seated beside Tom, her face contorted into one of concern as she repeated her healing spells, only managing to close the cut in the man's forehead bit by bit. It was not a typical injury, she forced as much magic as she could into each casting and it eventually did seal, but the scar was red and angry. The wounds left behind by the Darkest of magic were always the toughest to heal.

"Harry, I have to help him," Tom said, trying to move forward, only to be restrained by Narcissa's strong grip, keeping him from moving before she could do anything about the damage to this head.

"You're not going to be able to do anything until they manage to track Dumbledore down," Narcissa said softly, looking to Sirius and Severus to ensure that they were doing alright without her attention. Across the room, Draco's face was still a blank mask of meditation, though she could see that her son's hair stood slightly on end from the power of the wards that he was tapping into. She wondered if he was only monitoring them, or if he was attempting to shift them to combat the attack. They had modified the wards around the Manor on the first of the year, as they always did, continuing to maintain the shields that concealed the magical signatures of those within and to prevent unwanted intruders. But they'd taken the added precaution of re-awakening wards long unused, that were designed to prevent someone from being compelled off of the property. It had been a collective idea, knowing how strong Dumbledore's abilities were concerning mind magic, they had not wanted to take any chances. But it seemed that not even they could account for all the tricks that the old man had up his sleeve.

Tom growled and cursed his former master, swearing that he would see the man torn to shreds for what he'd done to Harry. It had happened before, Dumbledore had destroyed the Light Lord from a distance, using the Darkest of magic to sunder their minds or cripple their bodies. Tom had not understood even as a young man just starting out in his training, he knew that magic needed to be balanced, that Dark needed Light, but he had trusted Dumbledore in those days, believed that he knew what he was doing. If only he had killed the old bastard, then and there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: That's it for now. I know it's a cliffhanger and that is mean of me, but I have been good about updating and I promise you that I will continue to be, at least as long as it takes me to finish this arc of the story. Okay? So how about leaving me a review or a comment and letting me know what you think? Thanks for reading!)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I know I left the last chapter on a cliffhanger, and I promised that I wouldn't make you guys wait too long to find out what happens. So, here's the next chapter. No new warnings for this one, I hope that you like it. On with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 14

Lucius felt his skin crawling at the sensation of the foul magic butting up against his own. But he maintained his hold on the thread that had worked its way in through the wards. He would not stand for someone under his care being assaulted in such a fashion. But it would not be easy to track, or rather it would not be quick, they could not use magic of their own, lest they alert the caster at work. So, they were relegated to brooms, he took the fastest ones that they had, passing one to Remus and another to Hermione, assuring the young woman that she would not fall from it due to the safety charms it had been equipped with.

Leading his two companions into the cold night, he swore that he would not fail in his quest to seek out the one at fault. He kept the thread of magic tied to himself, following it as quickly as he could while still maintaining his focus on it. They passed over great open stretches and ancient forests, his stomach churned the closer they got, he could feel the vile working trying to smother him. Behind him Remus and Hermione seemed unfazed, but he suspected that their affiliation with the Light would protect them for at least a time. It was easier to be touched by Dark magic when you were already predisposed toward it yourself.

He was not shocked when he realized that the pull of the magic had led them to Godric's Hollow, he signaled for them to land and to go on foot. The graveyard where the Potter's had been buried would be the likely location. Hermione stepped forward, her wand flicking in a complicated movement, her voice so low it might have been a hum, and suddenly Lucius felt himself surrounded by a strange warmth. He looked to her and nodded, it was a shielding charm, a powerful one, he could almost feel it around him, like a second skin. She had thought carefully and selected one that would help to conceal their presence as much as it was possible. Lucius lost the thread of the magic that he was tracking, but he no longer needed it, the pall of evil was thick and they needed only walk deeper into it.

Remus then took the lead, his amber eyes practically glowing with rage, he didn't even bother to check that the others were following, instead stalking forward. He knew where he was going, he had visited Lily and James a number of times. Always he had spoken to them, trying to tell them what he could of Harry, trying to apologize for the fact that they'd been buried away from the Potter ancestral lands. He didn't have the clout to petition to have their graves moved to what should have been their proper resting place. Of course, he was supposed to have been dead for two years, so he hadn't been able to do anything about it anyway. This never would have happened if their Wills had been respected.

Of course, Remus now suspected that that was by design as Dumbledore had been the one to organize the funerals. He had to wonder how many other provisions of the Will had been violated. Surely Harry was not supposed to have ended up with Petunia in the first place. No, Remus would have to ask Lucius to use his influence in the Ministry to have the Wills opened and examined, their content used against Dumbledore.

Lucius and Hermione reached out at the same time and grabbed Remus by the robes, dragging him into the cover of some bushes. There was a sickly glow coming from the graves, they could not see Dumbledore, but they could feel the presence of his magic. Remus gripped his wand tightly and motioned for Hermione to linger in the back, knowing that she'd be the best choice to have their backs.

Everyone held their breath, Hermione did not move up as much as Remus and Lucius, but she did her best to keep herself within a handful of paces, her eyes trained on the events playing out at the gravesite. The earth had not been disturbed, nor had the remains actually been removed, it seemed that the magic at work was actually seeping into the earth, violating the sanctity of the burial without actually exhuming the victims.

It was Remus that reacted first, his wand slashing harshly, throwing a stunning spell into a shadowed figure, followed by Lucius' disarming spell that left a wand sailing through the air to land near Hermione. She did not hesitate to summon it, instantly wrapping it in her cloak so that she did not make actual contact with it but so that it was still concealed from the culprit. If nothing else, they would need it to present to the Ministry as evidence. The pair of men rushed forward, each putting a boot on the now downed cloaked figure.

"What do you think you were doing?" Lucius hissed, his wand pointed at the person, toe of his boot digging into the fallen man's chest. Hermione moved up, but could not make out a face. Her own wand was in her hand still, busy dispelling the remaining magic that worked on the graves. It was astonishing how much of it still lingered without the initial caster to power it. But she knew her fair share of methods to break curses and put every spare bit of magic that she could into ensuring that the corruption was removed.

"I…I don't know," the voice that came from the downed figure was soft, confused, Hermione turned from her completed task and moved to stand beside Lucius, looking down onto the man at fault. She thought that she recognized him, someone from the Ministry, though she couldn't remember who. He wasn't someone terribly important, she knew that much, she remembered most of the high-ranking officials and Lucius did not seem fazed by the man's identity.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Remus growled, his eyes burning with rage. The man simply whimpered and swallowed heavily.

"I don't know. I was in my office, finishing up some filing and then I was here. I don't know how I got from there to here. I…don't remember much of anything, only that there was so much power flowing through me, it wasn't mine, I could barely control it, but something was telling me what to do," he said and yelped when the two men pulled him to his feet.

"Do you remember seeing anyone? Hearing a voice?" Hermione questioned, stepping forward and pointing her wand at the man's face. He looked dazed and fearful, his eyes confused.

"I don't think so," he admitted and the three of them groaned. Lucius put his wand to the man's temple and soon he was missing his memories of most of the week, left only with the impression that he needed to go home and stay away from work for the next few days. They watched as he vanished and then they turned to each other, Hermione produced the wand from the folds of her cloak and showed it to her companions.

"Not his, a decoy wand, imbued with the power to perform the spell," Lucius said and sighed, removing the wand from her hand and snapping it in half. The shattered core was revealed to be empty, it had simply been a conduit for magic that no longer existed. Even though they all knew who was at fault, they were no closer to being able to prove it. So together they did their best to set protections and wards around the graves of James and Lily Potter so that hopefully they would not be so easily disturbed again.

"I want to petition to have them moved. They should be on Potter land, amongst family, not here were they're nothing more than a side-show for people who believe Dumbledore's lies," Remus said fiercely, meeting Lucius' gaze.

"I will pull all the strings at my disposal," Lucius said in acknowledgement and the three of them vanished from the graveyard, their brooms carried with them, no longer of use now that they didn't need to track down a magical trail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: That's all for now. I hope you guys liked it. So, I hope you will leave me a review and let me know what you thought.)


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Wow, I am really on a roll with this one. It's about to eclipse my other story in chapters if I don't slow down soon. But I promise I am still working on both. I won't let you guys down. No new warnings for this chapter, so on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 15

It felt like hours upon hours that Tom was forced to sit and watch as Harry was tormented by the foulest of magic. He could not begin to bring his own magic to bear against the force, there was too much risk of hurting Harry or himself and leaving both of them defenseless. So, he simply sat as close as he could, trying now and again to reach out to Harry, to try to touch, but never succeeding. Draco remained in the corner, his body still and folded into the same pose, the power of the wards flowing through him like a lightning strike. He might have given out at some point, but Sirius and Severus and joined him, sitting beside him and letting him draw from their magic so that he did not become overwhelmed.

Tom would have lent his power to the cause, but Narcissa had banned him after a simple scan revealed to her just how much he'd depleted himself in his initial attempt to save Harry from his attacker. So, he felt absolutely useless, and it crushed him. Narcissa had worn herself down considerably, casting healing spells as often as she was able and keeping track of everyone's well-being. She could do nothing more for the livid scar that stood out against Tom's pale skin, and she could not reach Harry in his place of torment, but she refused to let herself be rendered useless.

When Harry went still upon the bed it was near dawn and Tom was certain that he had died. After all, who knew how many hours of torment he had been forced to endure, certainly Tom couldn't tell. It was all too much. He and Narcissa both rushed to the bedside, Narcissa scanning Harry's vitals and Tom pulling Harry into his arms. It wasn't the wisest of moves, but he would not allow Harry to be without comfort an instant longer. He hugged the other man close despite the fact that he was soaked in a cold sweat, whispering softly to him, begging him to be alright, to wake up.

"He's fine. In so far as he can be. He's remarkably strong. I don't think he would have reacted so violently or held out for so long were he not so strong in the Light. Whatever his assailant was trying to achieve, they seem to have failed," Narcissa said and gently roused the other occupants of the room from the trance that they had fallen into. She smiled at all of them, summoning some potions to help bolster each of them for the day ahead. Everyone was going to be tired, and she deeply suspected that they would all be retiring to bed a good deal earlier than usual that day. It was almost tempting to say that they should go and sleep for the remainder of the morning, but there were too many things to be done for that to be a possibility.

"Nothing tied to breach the wards, the attack wasn't designed to locate Harry, just to punish him," Draco said, leaning back and letting his eyes drift over to the bed, his heart aching at the sight of Harry cradled in Tom's arms.

"I've never felt something so disgusting, and I grew up with my mother," Sirius breathed, leaning into Severus and trying to breathe. Severus wrapped his arm around the other man and kissed his forehead, letting his own weariness finally show.

"Your parents were loyal to Dumbledore when he was still active as the Dark Lord, no wonder it effected you so much," Severus said gently, holding Sirius closer.

"I know, but not even my family got into Necromancy. I mean, at least while I still lived there," Sirius responded, helping Severus to his feet.

"It's a heinous practice. I'm not shocked that it is something Dumbledore resorted to, if he knows Harry is the Light Lord then the only chance he has against him is treachery. He tried to turn Remus the same way, to corrupt him by keeping me away from him, leaving him to suffer during the full moon. He tried to break you by sending you to prison. He attempted to use Lily's memory to turn me against Tom. Dumbledore is the most underhanded bastard in the world," Severus growled, his dark eyes fixed on the floor.

"Pity for him Lily made us get our shit together after graduation. I think he knew we'd be strong if we ever got together and he fought to keep us apart. I'm not convinced that Lily wasn't the Light Lord at the time and he just managed to stymie her until it was too late," Sirius said and smiled grimly, his expression only softened when Remus returned to them, wrapping the both of them in his arms.

"We're definitely better together," Severus whispered and hugged his partners close. Hermione had all but crashed into Draco, embracing him with shaking arms and refusing to let go. Narcissa allowed herself to be folded into Lucius' arms, her own fingers digging into his back as the tension she had felt finally released itself. All of them had been frightened that they might not see their loved ones again, but they had not allowed themselves to show it until now. Such was the nature of frightening situations, everything else went on the back burner until the danger had passed.

"Tom? Is it really you?" Harry's voice was small and weak, nothing like it had been the day before, but his eyes were open and that was all it took for tears to start pouring down Tom's face.

"Yes Harry, I'm here, we're all here," Tom breathed clutching Harry as close to himself as he could.

"I thought I was dead. I…I saw my parents, but they weren't right, it was like they were puppets, and then they were torturing me. I felt like someone was tearing my body apart," Harry whispered, his voice continuing to shake as he wound his fingers into Tom's clothing.

"It wasn't really them Harry. Dumbledore sent someone to use them against you. Your parents are still safely in the afterlife," Remus said quietly, his heart aching at what he was forced to tell the young man that was so devastated. He had seen it with his own eyes and still he could not believe that something so disgusting had been attempted.

"Sent someone? But the power behind the spell, the magic, it felt like Dumbledore," Severus said in confusion and looked to Tom who simply nodded in agreement with the point.

"A siphon of a sort. A false wand with a core forged of his own magic. The man he sent had no memory of the event, he wouldn't have been strong enough to do something like this. No, Dumbledore won't show his hand yet. I'm sure that he will be waiting for the man to return, to tell him if someone came to stop him. What a pity I'm so skilled at erasing memories, more so that Hermione here is so good at disguising magical signatures," Lucius said, beaming at his future daughter-in-law. There wasn't much room for happiness or joy, but he could not help the swell of pride that he felt at knowing that such a brilliant and powerful witch would be a part of his family.

"How do we stop it from happening again?" Draco asked, still clearly exhausted by his efforts of the last few hours.

"The only way to keep them safe is to make sure they are in a place where Dumbledore cannot venture. To exhume them and have them interred within the bounds of the Potter's ancestral lands, the family cemetery where they should have been laid to rest to begin with," Remus said, his eyes continually flicking back to Harry, needing to know that he was alright.

"Then I want it done," Harry said, his voice firm once again. It seemed that he was recovering, though for all he had endured, it was likely he would be miserable for the next few days at the very least.

"I will bring forth a formal petition," Lucius assured, knowing that he and Narcissa were the only ones of them that could safely come and go from the Ministry. With everyone else missing or presumed dead, it would be more trouble to explain if they were caught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: That's it for now. I hope to hear from you guys. Comments make my day.)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the break, I know I was getting better about updates for a bit there, but my brain is an unpredictable and unfriendly thing so, I'm back for now, hopefully I can get a bit more done before the next interruption. Anyway, no new warnings needed for this chapter, so on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 16

No one had gotten much sleep, and though they might have tried to make it through the day as normal, it was obvious by dinner time that none of them wanted to be awake any longer. So they bid each other good night and headed to their respective rooms to get some much-needed rest. Harry didn't even consider the idea of spending the night alone. As soon as they were alone he seized Tom's hand and pulled him to a stop in the hallway.

"Tom…will you…would you stay with me tonight? I know he's not likely to try anything again so soon, but I would appreciate the company," Harry said, having to force the words out as fear gripped him. He hadn't told anyone the full details of the horror that had played out in his head during the attack, but it was enough to make him sick with terror. Tom looked at him, expression broken with sorrow.

"Of course I will Harry. I would have offered, but I was worried that the attack had ruined you on the idea of sharing a bed," Tom said softly, his hand coming up to gently cradle the side of Harry's face, thumb tracing along his cheekbone.

"No…I, no it didn't. I think, if anything it had made me less inclined to spend the night alone," Harry admitted and looked down, feeling defeated by the fear that had taken residence in his chest.

"Oh Harry," Tom whispered and pulled Harry into his arms, hugging him close and softly pressing a kiss to his temple. Harry let out a heavy sigh and his arms wrapped around Tom in return, gripping him tightly though not painfully.

"I'm sorry," Harry breathed, eyes closed tight to fight off the coming tears.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. Come, we shall share your bed tonight," Tom's voice was calm and reassuring, and somehow Harry found it easier to swallow the lump in his throat and force the tears back. It had to be the effect that Tom had on him, nothing else would have been able to calm him down in that moment, and he knew it.

They made their way to Harry's room, not far from the top of the stairs where their conversation had taken place. Once inside Harry realized that Tom had nothing to sleep in and that his night clothes would be slightly too small to share comfortably. Thankfully, however, Tom transfigured his clothing into a comfortable set of pajamas without as much as a pause. It was something that Harry had seen the others do from time to time, but he hadn't yet learned for himself how to transfigure something that he was actively wearing.

"Thank you, Tom, I really appreciate it," Harry said softly, his voice pitched lower to try to hide the sharp edge of emotion in it. Tom simply smiled, bright blue eyes shining with compassion.

"No need to thank me. I am delighted to spend the night with you in my arms. It is much a favor to myself as anything," Tom assured gently and motioned for Harry to get changed, taking a seat on the edge of the bed and waiting patiently.

Harry gathered his pajamas and made his way into the bathroom, he left the door partially open so that he didn't feel quite so trapped and cut off. It was ridiculous, he knew that the disturbing imagery that had tormented him had not been real and yet it was affecting him even now. He changed as quickly as he could, deliberately thinking about the comfort of Tom's arms to distract himself from the fear that loomed in the back of his mind like a creeping shadow. To think, he'd once thought a Dementor was the worst thing you could encounter; now he knew that it was no match for the despair and torture that Dumbledore could dish out. It lingered still, tainting his thoughts and twisting his stomach.

As soon as he was dressed he threw the door open and made his way to the bed. The look that Tom gave him told him that he hadn't concealed his thoughts and fears very well, if at all. But with Tom, he didn't have to pretend to be strong, he didn't have to act like he was unaffected by the events of the previous night.

"I can't…I can't stop seeing them. I know they weren't real, but now I can't help hearing their voices, seeing their faces, remembering the things that they were doing to me," Harry breathed, sinking down to sit beside Tom, his hands balled into fists in his lap. With a soft sigh Tom slung an arm around Harry's shoulders and pulled him in close so that their foreheads touched and Harry could just barely see the other man out the side of his eye.

"They weren't real; it was all the imagining of a wicked old man. But, you spent hours under that spell, it is not something easily forgotten. He was trying to break you, to twist your mind and leave you jumping at shadows, to fear everything and anything. It makes you easier to target if you're on edge," Tom said softly, thinking of the horrors that he would visit upon his former master for what he had done to the man now pressed against his side.

"I think it worked then," Harry admitted softly.

"I will keep you safe, no matter what he may try, I will not let him harm you again," Tom promised, holding Harry tightly against his side.

"How? You were right next to me last time and it still happened," Harry's voice broke as he spoke and his body tensed slightly.

"My abilities with mind magic have grown since I was parted from my body and restored to it. A mind is really all you have as a spirit. I am strong enough to protect the both of us if you'll allow me to do so," Tom responded shifting his weight so that he was looking Harry in the eyes.

"It trust you Tom, if you are offering help I'll accept it gladly," Harry whispered and wiped a couple stray tears from his cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I'm sorry it was so short after I have been gone for a time. I am hopeful that I will be able to put in some more work and have a decent bit for you to read here over the weekend. Regardless, I hope you enjoyed it and will leave me a review or a comment. I love hearing from you guys.)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I've been gone again and I wish I had an excuse other than my brain, but to be honest it has been difficult, so here I am with a new chapter for you to hopefully enjoy. I don't have any new warnings or anything like that so on with the show.)

A Cold Sleep

Part 17

Harry had not known what he had agreed to when he had accepted Tom's offer of help, but he was not surprised by it. Once they had lain down, Tom had turned them on their sides and locked their eyes together, something that made Harry's heart throb a little awkwardly. But then he had reached out and laid a hand on Harry's temple, the soft press of his magic entering his mind, filling his senses with everything that was Tom for a brief instant. And then there was a quiet that he hadn't experienced in years, calm and peace filled his mind and he blinked in shock, staring at Tom with wide eyes.

"Mind magic Harry this shielding is a form of Occlumency, though I have modified the techniques over the years, Severus is the true master of the art, but I am no slouch. It quiets your mind, blocks out external influences and in your case, internal ones as well. It is something that you can learn for yourself, but for the time, you can share in my shielding," Tom said softly, fingers stroking down Harry's face before sliding into messy black hair.

"It feels strange, but I like it, this is something I could learn to enjoy," Harry admitted quietly, still marveling at the lack of the inner voice that normally criticized and demeaned everything that he did and every choice that he made.

"Then we shall make an effort to teach you, not everyone can learn, it is of course, a very advanced form of magic, but you need not worry if you are unable to learn, I will be here to shield you, and in my absence Severus can do so as well," Tom said, his hand sliding down to tug Harry closer so that they rested with their foreheads together, his arm around Harry's middle.

"I will do my best to try to learn," Harry promised softly, his eyes already drooping as sleep crept in along the edges of his mind. The day had been trying, his body and mind had been assaulted not much earlier and he was exhausted by the experience. Now that he was safe and comfortable, it was almost impossible to stay awake.

"I know you will Harry, try to get some rest, I will be here with you," Tom said and leaned in, placing a soft kiss on Harry's lips, smiling when Harry blushed at the action. It was incredibly easy to make the other man blush; Tom decided that it would be his mission in life to make it happen as much as possible.

"Alright, goodnight Tom," Harry whispered, leaning his head forward so that it was tucked under Tom's chin. Even though he was no longer short enough for it to happen naturally, Harry was glad that Tom was willing to accommodate the position. In fact, after tugging the blankets up around them, Tom held Harry all the closer.

"Goodnight Harry," Tom responded, and smiled when Harry's breathing leveled out just seconds later. Assured that Harry was asleep, he closed his own eyes and allowed himself to fall into the embrace of sleep. He had been feeling the pull of fatigue the entire day, and now he was glad to give it what it wanted.

As expected, the night passed without incident, Harry sleeping the whole night through without so much a nightmare to plague him. It was something that he could become addicted to if he wasn't careful, that easy rest that he had gotten with Tom's help. But he supposed that it was safer than abusing Dreamless Sleep potions as he had wanted to do so desperately when he had been left to imagine the fate that had befallen his godfather in his fifth year. Sirius and Remus were still apologizing for that one, even though Harry understood why they had done it, there seemed to be no end to the guilt that they felt at having abandoned him to the madness of Dumbledore.

Harry knew that everyone would be worried about him at breakfast; he was almost shocked that he hadn't been dragged into some communal sleeping pile to ensure his safety through the night. But he was glad that for all their worry, no one said much of anything when Harry and Tom walked in, their hands joined, and expressions clearly relaxed. Narcissa cast an appraising look over the pair, it was subtle but it was there and Harry smiled at her in an attempt to reassure her that he had made it through the night in peaceful sleep.

"I think we have determined the reason for the attack on Harry," Lucius said once the morning pleasantries were out of the way and everyone had a plate full of food situated in front of them.

"You believe that it was more than simple maliciousness?" Tom asked, artfully snatching a letter out of the air as a late owl dropped it for him. He set it aside after a brief look at the seal to assure himself of its origins.

"I do, with Harry missing his vaults are sealed in an effort by the Goblins to track any suspicious activities that might lead to the discovery of their owner. It is entirely likely that Dumbledore has been abusing certain of the Potter vaults or properties and is now incapable of laying hands on them. This could be something as simple as the former headquarters for the Order or it could be much more damning. Personally I believe that we should have a full report of the vaults drawn up as soon as possible to see if the old man has been taking liberties with Harry's money," Lucius said softly though there was quite clearly a hard edge of rage in his expression, he managed to keep it out of his voice.

"But wouldn't that involve revealing my location?" Harry asked, suddenly nervous about the idea of what could be going on with things that he had never even thought about before. He knew that Lucius was working to have his parents' Will unsealed and to have their remains moved to the ancestral graveyard, but those were things that could be done without Harry's direct involvement. If they were planning on addressing vault security Harry would have to get involved personally.

"The Goblins will keep your secret Harry. They've kept mine and Remus' for a few years now. How do you think I was able to direct where everything went without having had a Will in the first place?" Sirius said with a smile. Harry cocked his head in thought, he had believed that Sirius had completely divided the vaults, but perhaps he had retained some for himself and was merely keeping a low profile about it? Not that Harry had asked, sticking his nose in someone else's finances seemed improper to him.

"Then I will send the request as soon as possible. I don't know much of what I'm doing so hopefully you guys can lend me a hand? I would like to set up an in person meeting so I'm not risking any of my mail being intercepted," Harry said his thoughts chaotic and swirling as he tried to remember what the appropriate greetings and platitudes were for dealing with Goblins. The last thing that he wanted to do was offend the person that was going to be hopefully helping him to keep track of his finances.

"Don't worry about that Harry, I'm long practiced at such things, I will accompany you," Narcissa assured and Harry let go of a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, his body sagging with relief. He trusted Narcissa in all things concerning etiquette.

"Thank you Narcissa," Harry managed to say before raising his eyebrow at the letter that Tom had received, he recognized the seal as belonging to one of the departments of the Ministry of Magic. It was likely a confirmation of the impending raid on the Weasley household, but Harry would have expected that to be delivered to Lucius. Unless of course Tom's ties within the Ministry were deep enough to protect his identity. Regardless, as soon as the raid was enacted the letter addressed to Ron and Ginny would be sent out as would the number of others that would inform the other Weasley children of the offer of safety that Lucius was extending to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Well that's it for now. I hope that you enjoyed it and will leave me a review or a comment, you guys have no idea how much hearing from you helps my mood to improve. So thanks for reading and I will see you all next time.)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Hey folks, I'm back again. At this point I don't have any new warnings for you, so I suppose that's good. Anyway, on with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 18

The past three weeks had been nothing short of hectic. Between getting Harry safely to Gringotts and back numerous times, the raid on the Weasley household and the subsequent move-in of all seven offspring, and the campaign to get students out of Hogwarts it seemed that there had been almost no time for anyone to rest. Harry for his part felt like he was running on fumes. Had he not grown and gone through treatment for malnourishment he knew that he never would have been able to keep up with the goings on.

Knowing that most of the Weasley children had their own homes and careers, Harry had not expected all of them to be moving in. He had underestimated the reach of Dumbledore's influence. The old man, upon realizing that they were no longer his pawns, had seen fit to disparage them publicly. He had attempted to spin the discovery of several dark artifacts in the Burrow as the fault of the children rather than Molly and Arthur who remained his loyal followers. While his credibility was somewhat in question, he had enough power and enough people under his thumb that he was able to punish those that he saw as traitors. Harry had never seen a Weasley on the warpath, seven of them together as one was quite frankly terrifying.

Gringotts had been the most exhausting, the Potter holdings were vast, the Black estate, of which he'd been given a portion was also larger than anticipated. He had spent hours upon hours reviewing the details of each and every account and claim, property and trust. While they had concluded that nothing had been taken that should not have been, it was noted that there had been several attempts throughout his life to secret his wealth away from him. The Goblins had him covered though, their accounting skills were unrivaled and Harry concluded his business with them secure in the knowledge that he would never have to worry about someone accessing his vaults or properties ever again.

As for the students of Hogwarts, well they didn't have to do terribly much on that front. A few here and there had been secreted away to families that could be trusted to protect them, but most that were leaving were doing so at their parents behest. There were still more children in the school than not, but Dumbledore's public façade was beginning to crumble and parents were finding it easier to consider transferring their children to schools abroad.

Harry had moved in with Tom, it seemed a logical way to free up space in the family wing for those that they were protecting, given that for the safety of his mind, Harry spent his nights with Tom anyway. Forsaking propriety Lucius and Narcissa had permitted Draco and Hermione to share a room. It wasn't as if they spent that much time apart anyway. The manor had certainly grown louder and more active with the introduction of the Weasley kids, but it wasn't a bad thing. Harry found the constant flutter of activity to be a good means of distracting his mind from the anxieties that he otherwise could not shake.

"Your Uncles want to see you," Hermione's voice startled him out of the world the book in his hands had taken him to and he took a moment to check that he hadn't lost his place when he'd jumped.

"Did they say what for?" Harry asked, glad that he did not sound as though he'd just internally leapt three feet in the air.

"Reviewing last week's course work. That's what they wanted me for at any rate," Hermione responded and sank into the couch, lazily summoning a large book on advanced curses and counter-curses. Harry suspected that she was preparing herself for something of a war, and honestly he didn't blame her in the least.

"Oh joy, I'll get a three note harmony on how difficult my handwriting is to read when I'm writing in a rush," he lamented and pushed himself to his feet, groaning in pain as he did so. He may have stopped growing at long last, but the pain of his body catching up to itself was still lingering.

"Well then you shouldn't write in a rush," Hermione chastised, barely glancing up from the book to do so.

"You know as well as I do that I haven't had any sort of proper time to work on assignments, all I have is rushing," Harry said and attempted to stretch in order to keep his legs and back from cramping in protest of the change of position.

"And you know as well as I do that you're stalling for time. Go see them, it won't be nearly as bad as you're imagining," she said and her head dipped down as the book consumed her focus. He wouldn't get anything more out of her even if he stood and shouted gibberish an inch from her head. She was beyond letting him shirk his responsibilities and education, and annoyingly everyone save Ron was on her side about it. And even Ron was taking the time to do his own work for once, so he really wasn't all that much help in the end.

Harry sighed and gave himself one last stretch before setting off toward the sitting room that Severus, Remus, and Sirius had claimed as something of an office. With so many of the residents of the manor still needing to finish their educations the three men had made it their mission to act as teachers and ensure that no one would miss out on their NEWTs.

It was a short trip, the sitting room was not far from the library, and Harry was knocking politely on the doorjamb before he'd even fully registered that he'd reached his destination. The door was open and his uncles were seated on the couch reviewing several rolls of parchment. They waved him in without a word and he allowed himself a moment to breathe before dropping gracelessly into the loveseat that was across from them. Sirius waved a hand and the door clicked shut, leaving Harry to sweat in fear that he was about to get lectured to the far side of the world and back.

"You guys have perfected the art of making me nervous, I'll have you know," Harry said with an agitated chuckle. Severus simply looked up at him and smirked.

"What kind of Uncles would we be if we didn't torment you just a little bit?" Remus asked and Harry let out a genuine laugh as relief flooded through him. The three men had relaxed their postures and were looking at him without the critical eye that they normally reserved for school related issues.

"Uh, I don't know?" Harry offered and the three men laughed.

"Relax, your school work, though in dire need of a penmanship update, is above average. You're soaking up your lessons far better than you ever did when you were at Hogwarts," Severus noted and Harry blushed fiercely his head dipping as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

"I mean, I know it sounds strange, but I feel like I somehow care more about it now? I don't know how to explain it. Like when I was at Hogwarts there was just this sense of apathy. I was so excited when I found out that I was a wizard and I wanted to learn everything. But when I finally got to school, I just, I don't know, all of that went away," Harry said, his expression scrunched up as he struggled to find the words to explain what had happened to him. He twisted his fingers up into his hair and leaned his head back just enough to observe his Uncles.

"That was probably intentional. Aside from attending school while dealing with abuse and malnourishment, it is likely that there was some sort of hex or enchantment placed on you to distance you from your education. After all, you'd be much easier to eliminate when you were older if you weren't knowledgeable enough to get out of trouble," Remus said softly and Harry's mouth popped open as if to speak before closing so quickly his teeth clacked together.

"Dumbledore had already marked you as the Light Lord; he viewed you as a threat even as a child. I am not shocked that he would have sabotaged your education in pursuit of his goals," Sirius said and frowned, a good part of him wondered just how many other students had been hobbled in their studies because they made the old man nervous about his future.

"Well I'm learning now, and that's what's important, right?" Harry said and earned a nod from all three men.

"That's right. Now for the real reason we called you here. I think you'll be pleased to hear it," Severus said and Harry sat up straight, his attention wholly devoted to the men opposite him.

"The real reason, what is it?" Harry asked, suddenly sorting through a thousand possibilities in his mind.

"The Ministry has agreed to relocate your parents' burial site to the Potter grounds. No one will be able to harm or disturb them ever again and you will be safe to visit them whenever you please," Remus informed and Harry breathed in sharply, tears springing to his eyes. He'd wanted so badly to visit them, to know that they were safe, and now that he possessed that knowledge he could not help but weep with relief.

"When can I visit them?" he asked through the tears.

"This weekend, we will accompany you," Sirius assured softly and opened his arms to invite Harry in for the hug that he so clearly needed. The young man needed very little prompting and practically vaulted the coffee table in order to bury himself in all three of their arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: That's it for now. I hope that you enjoyed it and will leave me a comment or a review, you guys keep me going. Thanks for reading, see you next time.)


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I'm back again; hopefully the break wasn't too long for you guys this time. But there are no new warnings to let you know about so I won't waste your time here. On with the show!)

A Cold Sleep

Part 19

The minute that he stepped over the wards that protected Potter Manor, Harry felt a buzzing of energy in his chest, warm and welcoming, but persistent and longing. He paused, touching his sternum and breathing deeply, his eyes falling closed as the magic surrounded him like a second skin. Home. This was his home. This was where he should have been raised. This was where he should have grown up under the guiding hands of his parents and extended family. This was where he belonged, but something told him, not quite yet.

"Are you alright Harry?" Severus kept his voice low and soft but his dark eyes were concerned when Harry finally looked at him. He didn't consider how long he had been silent; communing with magic was a thing outside of time.

"The wards, I can feel them, I've never felt something like this," Harry said plainly, thinking that the only thing that came close was lying beside Tom, wrapped in the protective magic of the other man's mind. Tom's magic was intimate, yes, but this was something deeper, something beyond human connection.

"You are the head of the Potter family; they will recognize your blood, even if you've never set foot on the property before. Ancestral magic is deep, tied not just to the building but the earth itself," Sirius explained gently, one arm looped around Harry's middle, offering him some comfort in what he knew was an overwhelming moment. Feeling the wards of Grimmauld Place tying themselves to him had left him physically ill, he was glad that such was not the case for Harry.

"Does this feeling ever leave? I mean, if I live here one day, will I always feel them this way?" Harry asked, letting out a slow breath and trying to draw his mind away from the comfort being offered to him by magic older than he could truly comprehend.

"You will. It is part of being Lord of the Manor. It is how Lucius and to a lesser extent Draco are able to command the wards with little more than a thought. Now that you have awakened them to your presence, you will feel them even at a distance," Sirius said, using his arm to give Harry a gentle nudge towards the gates of the property. They had yet to even see the Manor, and their mission was the small cemetery that lay behind it.

"I think it will get a bit less overwhelming as time goes on. They might be a bit eager to see you, as it were," Remus provided, resting a hand on Harry's shoulder for a moment as they moved up the path towards the house that he had visited on many occasions in years long past. He wanted to say that it was a joyous thing, but knowing that James and Lily were not there to greet them struck a blow to his chest that left him feeling desolate inside. Having visited their graves over the years he had made peace with their deaths, but now, even though this is what he had wanted, he could not bear the thought of them being dead in a place where they had once been so alive.

"We shall save the tour of the house for another day. For now, let us visit Lily and James, I should think that they'd appreciate it," Severus said, sensing that both of his partners were in some distress and wishing to move the process along before anyone came to tears or emotions ran too high.

"Yeah, yes, let's go see them," Harry said, his voice coming out stronger than he'd thought it would as he picked up the pace.

The cobbled path was old and worn, but still beautiful; it had not been overtaken by weeds or grass. The lawns and trees and bushes all looked well kept, at least from what he could tell, spring was a few weeks off after all. But he assumed that part of the enchantments over the place maintained the grounds. There were large empty plots scattered across the lawn, likely for flowers, a few had stone benches, one even had a small pond. There would have been so much room for him to run around as a child, to stretch and grow and play. Had he grown up at the Manor, he knew that he would have never been confined as he had with the Dursley's.

He allowed his thoughts to drift away from the past and on to the future, when he would make this place his home, he would see to it that the gardens were well-tended. Flowers and the like were great, but he wanted to put something in that would ensure that he had something to look at the whole year round. Would Tom wish to come to live with him in this place? Was he being too forward in assuming that their relationship would last? He liked to think not, not with the way Tom held him, not with the comfort that they brought to one another. Their respective positions of power aside, it was a relationship that he hoped never to lose. He loved Tom, and Tom loved him. When all the fighting was done and all their battles won, he hoped to make a life with the other man. Perhaps to adopt some children, or at least a few pets.

There was so much he wanted of his future. But so much of it was uncertain while Dumbledore was still in play. No matter the strides they made against the other man, he seemed to always find a way to keep his power. Certainly it would not last forever, he could not stand against the combined force that Harry and Tom presented, but he was proving to be more stubborn of a weed than they had initially anticipated. The fact that they had even been able to get Harry's parents moved to their proper resting place had been a huge victory. The next step would be to get the wills unsealed. Dumbledore blocked them at every turn, but they were not so easily deterred. They would continue to fight.

The cobbled path gave way to narrow walkways, ones that led off to various parts of the grounds, something that looked like a greenhouse in the distance, other buildings beyond. There would be time for him to explore and become familiar with the Manor in due time. For now his feet knew where they were taking them, even without the guiding hands of his Uncles, he could sense where it was that he belonged in that moment.

With a shaking hand he touched the wrought iron of the gate that enclosed the cemetery, gripping it and letting the chill of it combat the racing of his heart. He could see the fresh plots from where he stood a headstone of shining white marble clearly newly installed. Without a word he stepped forward, letting his Uncles fall back. He walked until he was level with the stone that bore their names and then he knelt before it, letting his fingers brush over their names. Tears came and he let them come. He'd never seen their graves, never had physical proof of what had happened to them. They'd been images, remembered in a mirror, in photographs, in the memories of others. But here they were.

He thought briefly of the fact that he now slept beside the man that killed them, thought how deeply he loved their murderer, and he cried just a bit harder. It wasn't truly Tom's fault, not completely, it had been his wand, that was certain, but it had been Dumbledore's will. Harry silently begged his parents to forgive him for who he loved, pleaded with them to understand the circumstances and to know that he did not love them any less for the comfort that he found in Tom's arms. He bowed his head against the stone and let the shaking sobs come from the deepest parts of his chest until there was nothing more left in him to cry out.

Strangely, when his tears stopped, he felt almost as though they were there beside him. He imagined their arms around him. And a chill raced down his spine before quickly being replaced by intense warmth. Somehow, without words or anything else to go on, he knew that they accepted him. And it was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: Well that's all for now. I hope you liked it and that you will leave me a review to let me know what you thought. I always appreciate hearing from you guys and it helps me more than I can say to see your encouraging words now and again. Thanks for reading.)


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: I know I've been gone for forever, I'm sorry about that. But I'm here with an update now and that's what matters, right? Anyway, no new warnings this time around, so on with the show.)

A Cold Sleep

Part 20

He rolled his shoulders and forced himself to stand up straight. Inside his stomach was twisting with nerves and he longed to curl in on himself and hide, so maintaining a passive façade was almost impossible. Almost. It had never felt right for him to be at the center of attention and he had nearly always shifted the spotlight from himself the moment he was able. But now he had no choice, this was his show, and he wasn't about to let something like anxiety screw things up for him.

"Alright, here's the truth; Dumbledore is a Dark Lord," he began but paused to let the disgruntled muttering and swearing of those assembled die down. "That alone isn't a problem. The world needs a Dark Lord, magic needs a Dark Lord. But Dumbledore is corrupted, evil, a grotesque caricature of what the Dark ought to be. Had you told me any of this a few months ago I would have laughed at you. Paranoid? Sure. Controlling? Of course. But evil? That would have been a joke. Only it's true. And I know that it is true from personal experience. Most of you know that my parents resting places were moved little more than a fortnight ago. Now I tell you why. It is because Dumbledore used them in a Necromantic ritual to attack me," he said, the strength of his voice growing as he found his confidence. The room was silent, any mutterings had been silenced and the faces that stared back at him were pulled into horrified masks.

While he had expected them to be put off by the idea some part of him hadn't actually thought that people who called themselves Death Eaters would be so appalled by Necromancy. But he'd been wrong before. So now he stood at the head of a crowded room with Tom standing silently behind him as a collection of adult witches and wizards attempted to avoid being physically ill.

"What reason could he have to attack you? You're Harry bloody Potter, his hailed Chosen One," a voice finally rang out from the side of the room and Harry tilted his head slightly as he sorted through names in his mind, looking to place one to the woman that had spoken. Ah, there it was, Melody Ashcroft, a new recruit.

"An excellent question Ms. Ashcroft, one with a simple enough answer, I'm pleased to say. It is because he fears me, he fears the Light Lord" Harry responded, falling back on the lessons he'd been given in mind magic to keep himself from being sick as the crowd now seemed to stare at him even more intensely, the mutterings returning and growing louder by the second. Unsure of himself Harry glanced to Tom eyes searching for an answer. A long moment passed before Tom stepped forward coming to stand beside Harry.

"Silence!" Tom's voice was far too loud for the space they were in, but it had the desired effect and the crowd quieted. "Do you think that I would have called you here, after three years of carefully orchestrated silence, for something any less important than this? After decades bereft of a Lord of Light we have not only been given one, but one that would stand alongside us. Magic would have balance, she would have harmony among us, and between Harry and I we would have it. But one thing stands in the way. Dumbledore, a pretender to the Light and a traitor to the Dark," Tom said, the words came easily to him, leadership not testing him the way it did Harry. Of course, Harry reasoned with himself, Tom had been at it for far longer, they both had the same natural charisma, but Tom had never been shy about using his for exactly this purpose.

"And what, my Lord, are we to do about this?" another voice spoke up, Harry directed his attention to the man, almost reveling in the feeling it gave him when the man took a half step back.

"Ah Rodolphus that much is up to you. I-we are not ordering direct action, doing so would endanger the students still attending Hogwarts. Understandably we cannot have this, no matter their present alignment we cannot risk harm to those that have not involved themselves. So I urge you all to be creative. Use your connections and positions to be as disruptive to him as possible without revealing yourselves. Leave yourselves room to plead ignorance," Tom said, the delight in his voice was impossible to miss even if his expression remained decidedly neutral.

"Could this not have been communicated to us via post my Lord?" Rodolphus spoke again and Harry's eyes narrowed for the briefest instant before remembering himself and controlling his emotions.

"Would any of you have truly believed this? Me, Harry Potter, the Light Lord, standing beside Lord Voldemort? Had you not seen it with your own eyes, would it really mean anything to you? I knew that answer when I agreed to reveal myself here. I'm missing, presumed dead at Dumbledore's hand. You'd think it a ploy to draw me out and nothing more. But now you've seen it. Seen me. You know beyond the shadow of doubt that I am with you. So I ask you to keep my secret as you keep his, and in return I will support you in every capacity that I am able to," Harry said and gave the crowd a grin, allowing them to see past the carefully constructed mask if only for a few seconds. Though they had worked intensively on his expression in the last couple of weeks he knew deep down that it would be his openness and humanity that kept both sides of their following behind him.

"You have your orders, do not give me reason to be disappointed. Dismissed," Tom followed up, preventing anyone from asking any questions. Soon the room was filled with the sharp cracks of magic as the group dispersed, most of them likely still unsure of where it was that they had come to for the meeting. Harry closed his eyes and let out a breath, shaking himself from head to toe as the discomfort of standing before an audience faded. Somehow it had never been quite so hard when it was on a broom above the stands at Hogwarts. He practically collapsed into the embrace when Tom's arms wrapped around him.

"I really didn't think I'd be doing this so soon. I wasn't ready," he whispered, his face pressed into Tom's neck as his fingers grasped at wonderfully soft robes. Tom's hand slid up to tilt Harry's head back, fingers gently sliding into the ever growing mop of hair.

"You did wonderfully. I would have preferred to keep you a secret for longer, but that was not an option. We need to end this sooner than later," Tom responded softly, leaning in and kissing Harry on the lips.

"I know, I know. We've been having the same conversation for a week now. I'm glad I didn't screw up though," Harry said, allowing Tom to deposit him in a chair as the room around them returned to its normal appearance as the formal dining room at Malfoy Manor. Without hesitation Harry dragged Tom down into his lap, grinning at the momentarily stunned expression that appeared on his partner's face. Tom was still adjusting to Harry's ever developing boldness, but he had to admit that it pleased him greatly to know that he was comfortable enough with their relationship to do such things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: That's all for now. I hope you enjoyed it and will leave me a comment or review to let me know what you thought. Until next time!)


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